BUSAN, Oct 2: India’s medal hunt at the Asian Games gathered momentum today with the women’s ...........more

India score second
straight win to book
semifinal berth

BUSAN, Oct 2: Defending champions India moved into the semi-finals of the Asian.........more

Indian tour produces
a West Indian
great: Richards

BANGALORE, Oct 2: Legendary cricketer Sir Vivian Richards today hoped that as in the past the West Indies team, now on a tour of India, would produce a world-beater this time too and exhorted his players to prepare...........more

India World Cup
favourites: Daily

LONDON, Oct 2: With every thing right for the Indian team , the line-up , the combination and form of the young turks — except the weather — in the ICC Champions.........more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 2: Kamal Rohmetra has emerged as undisputed champion after he had a razor edge victory over another undisputed king of yesterdays, Gautam Lakra, when latter saw victory slipping out of his hands allowing Kamal to make it a fourth double title..........more

Ist Women Katra Kesri
Wrestling on Oct 8

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

KATRA, Oct 2: The Jammu and Kashmir Indian Style Wrestling Association is organising Ist Women Katra Kesri 2002 Wrestling Tournament on........more

JKWCA holds prize
distribution function

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 2: Jammu and Kashmir Women Cricket Association (JKWCA) held the prize distribution function to give away winners and runners-up trophies and certificates to the finalists teams..........more

India score second straight win to book semifinal berth....

Holder Hewitt returns to Tokyo, starts with a win ....

Shooting, Rowing bring India medals on the fourth day

BUSAN, Oct 2: India’s medal hunt at the Asian Games gathered momentum today with the women’s shooting team winning a silver in the 10m air rifle event and men’s rowing team coming up with a bronze in coxless four-oars.

Besides, the men’s hockey team kept itself on course for the title defence with a 3-0 demolition of Japan to move into the semi-finals from Group A.

After the gold medal in snooker doubles yesterday, India have one gold, one silver and one bronze medal till now.

The Indian team comprising Suma Shirur, Anjali Bhagwat and Deepali Deshpande bettered the previous Asian record but still had to be content with a silver in the event which was won by the Chinese team with a new world record.

The Indians shot a total of 1187 points to finish seven points Adrift of Chinese team of Li Du, Zhao Yinghui and Jing Goa who scored 1194 points.

Suma Shirur scored 397 points while Anjali and Deepali fired 396 and 394 respectively. The South Korean team took the bronze with a total of 1183 points.

Anjali, however, missed the bronze in the individual event by just 0.1 points. She scored 396 in the preliminary rounds and 104.5 in the final for an aggregate of 500.5 for the fourth position.

The gold was won by Zhao Yinghui of China with 501.4 points while compatriot Gao Jing took silver at 501.0. Park Un Kyong of South Korea won the bronze with 500.6 points.

Suma stood fifth in the same event with 499.9 points (397+102.9) while Deepali failed to make it to the final round after scoring 394 in the preliminaries.

In coxless fours event of rowing, the Indian team comprising Jenil Krishnan, Inder Pal Singh, Roshan Lal and P T Paulose finished third with a timing of seven minutes 2.91 seconds to win the bronze.

The gold was won by the Chinese team in six minutes 46.25 seconds while Uzbekistan took the silver in six minutes 58.79 seconds.

The Indians narrowly missed the medal in two other events of rowing. Jamaluddin Jamaluddin in men’s lightweight Single Sculls and Pere Karoba in women’s single sculls missed the bronze medal by about three seconds each. Jamaluddin clocked 7:27.80 seconds while Karoba timed 9:55.79 seconds.

In women’s coxless fours, Indian team of Jincymol Verghese, Monalisa Mohanty, Sobhni Rajan and Julee Verghese finished sixth with a time of 8:36.66.

The hockey team scored a fluent victory over Japan with Deepak Thakur (11th minute), Dhanraj Pillay (45th) and Daljit Singh (55th) striking once each. Having defeated Hong Kong in their first match, India are thus ensured a top-two finish in Group A and a berth in the semi-finals.

India next play South Korea in their last league encounter on Friday.

Ace shooter Abhinav Bindra finished seventh in his favourite 10m air rifle event scoring 694.3 points (593+101.3). The gold was taken by Ll Jie of China with 700.8 points. (PTI)

India score second straight win to book semifinal berth

BUSAN, Oct 2: Defending champions India moved into the semi-finals of the Asian Games hockey with a 3-0 win over Japan in a Group A preliminary match at the Ganseo Stadium here today.

Deepak Thakur, Dhanraj Pillay and Daljit Singh Dhillon -all scored a goal each as India scored their second straight victory in league encounters.

With Japan losing both their matches - they lost their opening match to Korea 0-4 on Sunday - India’s second win assures them of a top-two finish in Group A, guaranteeing them a semi-final slot.

India had earlier defeated Hong Kong 5-1 and next play South Korea on Friday.

In an earlier match in Group B, two goals each from skipper Shanmuganathan Kuhan and Chua Boon Huat helped Malaysia defeat Bangladesh 6-1.

Japan, who had held Bangkok Games gold medallist India to a draw in their previous encounter in the Kuala Lumpur World Cup earlier this year, seemed once again to upset the calculations of the Asian powerhouse.

But once Deepak Thakur gave them the opening goal in 20th minute, India broke Japan’s stranglehold and took command of the match.

The second goal came 10 minutes into the second half when Pillay slammed in a rebound from the Japanese goalstopper’s block off a Gagan Ajit Singh shot.

The third, which came in the 55th minute, was a combination of fantastic move by Ignace Tirkey who weaved past two defender and smart finish by Dhillon. (PTI)

Indian tour produces a West Indian great: Richards

BANGALORE, Oct 2: Legendary cricketer Sir Vivian Richards today hoped that as in the past the West Indies team, now on a tour of India, would produce a world-beater this time too and exhorted his players to prepare themselves mentally for the challenges ahead.

"The current West Indies team has a bunch of talented individuals and a tour in the past has brought out world beaters," the West Indian chairman of selectors told reporters here recalling the rise to fame of fast bowlers Andy Roberts and Malcolm Marshal, as well as himself.

He also reminded that he made his test debut in India and after that "Vivian Richards never looked back".

Richards rated India as a good side and said India played very well in the recent ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka. "It’s a pity that the rain interrupted the finals. India at that time were a better team."

But he exhorted the Caribbeans to get into a mental mode that will make India crumble.

"Regardless of how good the Indian team is at this point, we have got to be confident about ourselves. Sometimes, good things do crumble and we have got to think along those lines," Sir Vivian said.

But he admitted it’s always very difficult to beat India in India and it’s going to be hard. "But when you participate in a sport, never say never".

"Yes, we are hoping that we can give them a good fight. It would be a great cause to us to judge ourself and how well we played against India," he said.

Richards described Indian batsman Virender Sehwag as "pretty exciting", and said "world cricket needs more cricketers of that sort".

He said he was enjoying his role as chairman of selectors and stressed that West Indies was keen to move ahead "collectively".

Noting that some of the touring individuals were new to Indian conditions, Sir Vivian said having toured India on numerous occasions, it does give him qualification to pass on some of that knowledge in terms of "things to look for, not to look for and what it takes to succeed in India".

Giving due credit to the West Indies side, Richards said "judging by our performance and of some of the individuals, I do believe there is a renewed spirit and renewed vigour by individuals and how they would like to succeed".

"One felt a sense of pride even when they (West Indies) lost to South Africa (in the recent ICC encounter). We (West Indies) had a better team. Sometimes, better team does not win always".

Meanwhile, the tourists had nets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium where they would begin their campaign on Friday with a three-day game against Mohammed Kaif led Board President’s XI. (PTI)

India World Cup favourites: Daily

LONDON, Oct 2: With every thing right for the Indian team , the line-up , the combination and form of the young turks — except the weather — in the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, the British media has given a thumbs up to India’s chances of the World Cup title, next only to Australia.

"India should now be installed among the favourites for next February’s World Cup, second only to holders Australia, the daily Telegraph reported.

Not withstanding a joint-title at the ICC Champions Trophy following two washouts " this had been india’s competition from the moment they annihilated england nine days ago. It was not so much the quality of their batting that stood out but the salmon leaps and dives of Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif in the field. A completely rejuvenated team."

The new daily also flayed the ICC for not anticipating rains even in the monsoons, an error of common sense.

Despite two excellent semi-finals, the competition was afflicted by a series of problems, from the storm over restrictive players’ contracts to the awkwardness of a schedule involving three un competitive teams, the paper said.

"The final wash-out was somehow a fitting end, it stated" to the drama it said, cynically. (UNI)

It’s Kamal’s fourth double title victory
* Junior Nishant takes revenge beating Kuldeep in Billiards final

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 2: Kamal Rohmetra has emerged as undisputed champion after he had a razor edge victory over another undisputed king of yesterdays, Gautam Lakra, when latter saw victory slipping out of his hands allowing Kamal to make it a fourth double title victory in a row in the game of Billiards and Snooker.

In Junior Billiards final, Nishant Azad did not allow Kuldeep to overpower him and took revenge of his yesterday’s loss taking away the winners trophy.

In case of seniors, after taking away the Snooker title for the fourth consecutive time in the district competitions, Kamal was not so confident of win when taking on Billiards master and senior most cueist Gautam Lakra in the senior Billiards final.

However, luck favoured this smart and youngman at a stage when the final decision was still awaited with just 25 seconds game left in the two-hour long match.

Seconds before Kamal took the cue last time, everybody thought that it will be Lakra the winner, who had just to cover seven points lead (439-446) without a miss. But in hurry he made a proverbial bad curry when he committed a mistake at the eleventh hour when he should have not. Another turn in the dying seconds was a God’s gift to Kamal (which Kamal later admitted while sharing his happiness with the newsmen), who then committed no mistake and added three more points to his kitty to emerge the winner with final score on board reading 449-441.

Every body, including the special invitees, were on toes finding top cueists of the State striving hard to finish ahead when the time-keeper raised alarm.

Earlier, Kamal was leading at the end of the first half one-hour game 261-197, but master of Billiards, Gautam Lakra fought back and first equaled the score and then went ahead of Kamal taking 50 points lead with total score of around 400 in his favour.

However, maintaining his cool, Kamal continued playing slow but steady game adding handful of points as and when he got the chance to strike. But the end of the game, Kamal had recovered and once again took lead. This time the lead was not so high and both Kamal and Gautam had a sea-saw battle with single digit lead shifting either side. Finally, it was Kamal’s day and he emerged winner making it a double title victory for the fourth consecutive term.

Yesterday, Kamal defeated Vishal Abrol to win the Snooker title for the fourth consecutive year.

In Junior Billiards final, played this afternoon, master in potting, Kuldeep Chowdhary was overpowered by Nishant Azad. Nishant had taken sufficient lead right from the beginning of the 90 minutes match and took away the title with final score on board 285-207.

Earlier, yesterday, Kuldeep had defeated Nishant Azad in Snooker final.

In today’s final, president, Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Ram Sahai was the chief guest who gave away prizes to the winners and runners of both senior and junior groups.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sahai assured full cooperation to the sports bodies from the industry for the upliftment of sport in the State.

Secretary, State Sports Council, Sheikh Fazal Ahmed, was also present on the occasion.

Earlier, briefing the special invitees present in the Billiards hall, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Billiards and Snooker Association, the organisers of the tournament, Siddharth Sharma said that a number of new talented players have emerged in this tournament and hoped that they would take the game to new heights in the times to come.

While, appreciating the Sports Council for their support with regard to finance and infrastructure, Siddharth had all praise for the organising committee, especially the organising secretary, Sheetal Gandotra.

He thanked the Secretary and requested him to get the torn-out carpet repaired in the Billiards hall, if possible, before the State Championship scheduled by the middle of this month.

Prominent among others present in the final were Mr Varjinder Sharma, executive member, JKBSA and Som Raj Gupta, member State Sports Council.