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US Open crowd NEW YORK, Sept 1: They are the rowdiest crowds in tennis. They intimidate players, talk on cell phones during play and ignore the pleas for quiet from the umpires..........more Venus, Capriati, Agassi solid as Hewitt wobbles NEW YORK, Sept 1: While other big names wobbled at the U S Open, Venus Williams, Andre Agassi and Jennifer Capriati stayed rock solid, .......more Real
Madrid signs MADRID, Sept 1: Real Madrid said last night it had signed Brazilian star striker Ronaldo from Inter Milan. Madrid Sports Director Jorge Valdano......more Warne wants to play in 2005 Ashes tour: Report MELBOURNE, Sept 1: Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne wants to make a fourth Ashes.....more |
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30th State Badminton
Championship Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Sept 1: Zeenat of Srinagar and Aman of Jammu were among the first winners in the Junior girls and boys singles respectively on the opening day of the 30th State Badminton Championship which began today..............more DBN
Vidya Mandir Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Sept 1: Dewan Badrinath Vidya Mandir celebrated their 40th Foundation Day with enthusiasm and zeal at Abhinav ........more PLCC
win opening Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Sept 1: Police Lines Cricket Club (PLCC) won.......more |
US Open crowd looking for blood NEW YORK, Sept 1: They are the rowdiest crowds in tennis. They intimidate players, talk on cell phones during play and ignore the pleas for quiet from the umpires. They drove Greg Rusedski to distraction, to the point the Briton filed a complaint with the supervisor following his second-round win over Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan. They taunted world number one Lleyton Hewitt with shouts of "racist" during his third-round victory over American heartthrob James Blake, leaving a stain yesterday’s feature match. Welcome to New York and the U S Open. To the uninitiated, the 23,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium court can seem nothing less than a seething Roman Coliseum, a rabid crowd looking for blood. If you are American and your name is Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Jennifer Capriati or Venus and Serena Williams you are embraced. If you are anything else you are fair game. "When I get the call to go out there and open up a night session, it sends shivers up my spine," said Agassi following his opening match on Monday. "I love it, there’s no place I’d rather be. "I’ve always appreciated the heart and spirit of New Yorkers. There’s a lot of inspiration in the hearts and minds of everybody that’s in this city." There was never any doubt that blake would have the lion’s share of support for his third-round match, won by Hewitt 6-7 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-3. The rematch produced the entertaining, high-calibre tennis everyone had expected but none of the fireworks of last year’s second-round showdown when the Australian appeared to suggest to the umpire that an African-American linesman was favouring Blake with his calls because of the colour of the two men. While the players had put last year’s controversial clash behind them, some members of the large Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd had not, one spectator shouting, ‘’don’t let him beat you james, he’s a racist’. "I just apologised for any fans that were speaking out negatively," said Blake when asked what he had told Hewitt after the match. "That was something I was a bit embarrassed by, when a few fans did that". "But that’s what you’re always going to get at the U S Open. "That makes it a little different from Wimbledon, a little different from any of the Grand Slams". "That’s something that for me, it’s fun to be a part of a rowdy crowd, but I like it when it’s a little more just in fun." One player the new york crowd has not been able to get to is Hewitt, the 21-year-old proving he is not only the most tenacious competitor on the men’s tour but the most focused as well. "You’re always going to get a few nutters in the crowd," said Hewitt. "Can’t do much about it". "I didn’t hear much, I was pretty focused". "I went out there with the same attitude that I’ve taken into Davis Cup matches. That was my whole mindset as soon as I stepped out onto the court." (AGENCIES) |
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Venus, Capriati, Agassi solid as Hewitt wobbles NEW YORK, Sept 1: While other big names wobbled at the U S Open, Venus Williams, Andre Agassi and Jennifer Capriati stayed rock solid, recording quickfire victories to slice further through the Grand Slam draw. Venus smashed German Martina Mueller 6-1 6-2 in just 41 minutes yesterday, Capriati crushed fellow American Meghann Shaughnessy 6-2 6-2 in 56 minutes, while Agassi battered Ramon Delgado of Paraguay 6-2 6-1 6-2 in 89 minutes. Their emphatic victories were in stark contrast to the progress of men’s top seed and defending champion Lleyton Hewitt, who needed five nerve-jangling sets to shake off American favourite James Blake. The Australian eventually prevailed 6-7 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-3 but the match was not without its uncomfortable moments for the world number one. "I knew it was going to be a bloody tough match out there," Hewitt said after firing down an ace to seal the win in three hours 34 minutes. "I went out there with a davis cup mentality and just blocked it out." Agassi, though, continued his dominant run. In a rematch of last year’s third-round encounter, also won by Agassi in straight sets, the American kept his opponent off balance and was in control throughout. Seeking his third title here, he has looked unbeatable through the first three rounds, dropping just 16 games. "I feel good where my game is at. How can I complain?" he asked. The sixth seed will face unseeded compatriot Jan-Michael Gambill after he clattered Argentine 21st seed Gaston Gaudio 6-0 6-2 6-0. Gambill knows the size of the task ahead. "There’s nobody on the tour I have more respect for on or off the court," he said. "He’s a great guy and it’s going to be a tough match. I am excited about it." Venus, seeded second this year behind younger sister Serena, stayed on track for a third successive open crown with a ruthless victory. "It seemed to go a little quickly...But I guess that’s a nice thing," she said. "Still a long way, the final... But it’s getting closer. That’s a good thing." While Serena won the French Open in June and deposed Venus at Wimbledon a month later, at least in New York, Venus still rules. The American has conceded just six games in three matches at flushing meadows and is looking in sparkling form. She meets compatriot Chanda Rubin next. Rubin, seeded 14, finessed her way past U S doubles specialist Lisa Raymond with a tight 7-6 6-4 win. Capriati, the third seed, produced 17 winners and broke 30th seed Shaughnessy’s serve four times in their match. "I felt I played so well I didn’t let her play her game," Capriati said. "I was pretty consistent, served great, and came in on some good shots. I moved well considering the weather and everything." The Australian Open champion has conceded just 10 games in three matches this week as she chases her second major of the year. "It’s only going to get tougher," Capriati said. "If I can just keep going the same way, still play the tennis I’m playing, I should be all right." Her fourth-round opponent will be unseeded fellow American Amy Frazier, who rallied past 16th-seeded Bulgarian Magdalena Maleeva 3-6 6-2 6-2. Far less convincing than Capriati and Venus on a blustery day six were Monica Seles and Kim Clijsters. Sixth seed Seles was in the wars again as she fought off a spirited challenge by South Korea’s Cho Yoon-Jeong to reach the fourth round 6-1 5-7 6-3. "She was playing really well and I lost my concentration and then the second set," said Seles, champion here in 1991 and 1992. "She was running down a lot of balls and I had to work really hard. I’ll have to play a lot better if I am going to advance much further." That much is certain as she meets ninth seed Martina Hingis next. Hingis, back in action after ankle surgery kept her out of the French Open and Wimbledon, eliminated South African Amanda Coetzer 6-3 6-4. Seventh seed Clijsters recovered from a nightmare start to oust dynamic Russian Vera Zvonareva 1-6 7-5 6-4. The Belgian, Hewitt’s girlfriend, was flattened in the opening set by some impressive power hitting and canny court-craft from the Russian. But she gradually wrestled control from the 17-year-old to book a clash against 10th seed Amelie Mauresmo of France, who beat Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder 6-1 6-4. In the men’s draw, 22nd seed Marcelo Rios of Chile retired in his third-round match with right knee tendinitis, giving 14th seed Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic an easy passage into round four and a clash with Hewitt. Wayne Ferreira of South Africa beat Spain’s Tommy Robredo 6-1 6-2 7-5 to set up a meeting with 20th seed Younes El Aynaoui. The Moroccan beat another Spaniard, Fernando Vicente, 6-2 2-6 6-1 6-2. (AGENCIES) |
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Real Madrid signs Ronaldo from Inter Milan MADRID, Sept 1: Real Madrid said last night it had signed Brazilian star striker Ronaldo from Inter Milan. Madrid Sports Director Jorge Valdano said just after midnight local time that Ronaldo’s signing on a four-year deal was "a very happy day for the club". "It’s been a very hectic day but in the end it had a very happy ending," Valdano said. "We are very satisfied. We have signed one of the world’s best players." Inter confirmed the deal on its web site, but did not give any further details. Ronaldo was seen leaving inter headquarters guarded from fans by a police escort shortly after the deal was announced, the Italian news agency Ansa reported. Spanish News reports said the Spanish powerhouse will pay 35 million Euros ($34.6 million) for the transfer of one of the world’s leading strikers. In addition, the deal reportedly includes the transfer of an undetermined Madrid player to Inter, although the player will not move to Italy until January. The reports valued the total deal at 45 million Euros ($44.5 million). "Ronaldo has chosen to earn less by coming to Madrid," Valdano said. "If he hadn’t agreed to this we wouldn’t have signed him because the club has to have a wage structure." Valdano said that Ronaldo will wear the number 11 shirt since Fernando Morrentes has Ronaldo’s customary number nine jersey. Madrid’s announcement ended weeks of intense speculation in the Italian and Spanish media regarding Ronaldo’s status. (AP) |
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Warne wants to play in 2005 Ashes tour: Report MELBOURNE, Sept 1: Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne wants to make a fourth Ashes tour of England in 2005 and may give up one-day cricket to pursue his goal, an Australian newspaper said today. Warne, 33 next month, is the second leading wicket-taker in test cricket and will be a key player for one-day captain Ricky Ponting in next year’s World Cup defence in South Africa. "I think another Ashes series (tour) is a realistic goal," Warne was quoted as saying by the Sunday age newspaper. "Maybe I’ll only play one form of the game. That might prolong my test career". "Maybe I could play four or five years of test cricket". "They’re all the things you have to weigh up". "But you don’t want to get too far ahead of yourself. That’s when your form wavers and you’re out of the side anyway." The Australian bowled what is regarded as the "ball of the century" in Manchester in 1993 with his first ashes delivery, clipping Mike Gatting’s off bail after pitching outside leg stump. Last year he took 31 wickets in Australia’s seventh successive series win over England. Warne has taken 450 test wickets, behind only West Indian Courtney Walsh’s 519. Named one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the century in 2000, Warne has shed more than 10 kilograms this year as part of a fitness campaign. Plagued by negative headlines throughout his career, Warne says he is trying to simply concentrate on cricket and his critics can please themselves. "I just went through a stage where it was outrageous, some of the stuff that was happening. Yeah, I did a couple of things," he said. "I realised a long, long time ago that not everyone will like you. For whatever reason, they don’t like the way you play, they don’t like the way you conduct yourself — jealousy, whatever it might be". "I’m pretty thick-skinned. I don’t think I’m bitter. I’m disappointed with certain sections of the media and certain people but that’s the way it is." Warne, the man of the match when Australia beat Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup final, said the defending champions were in good shape to win in South Africa next year. "I love a challenge. The really big moments, that’s what brings out the best in me. At those moments, i want the ball in my hand," he said. Warne took 1-20 earlier this week as Australia opened their Triangular series campaign in Kenya with a 224-run victory over Pakistan. (AGENCIES) |
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30th State Badminton
Championship Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Sept 1: Zeenat of Srinagar and Aman of Jammu were among the first winners in the Junior girls and boys singles respectively on the opening day of the 30th State Badminton Championship which began today at the Indoor Complex, M A Stadium, here. Zeenat defeated her team-mate Romia of Srinagar in straight easy sets of 11-1, 11-3, whileas, Aman outplayed Farooq of Srinagar 15-1, 15-2 to advance into the next round. In the Junior boys singles, Nissar of Srinagar also won his tie against Salil also of Srinagar 15-6, 15-9. Two more winners in Junior girls singles matches were Vinika who defeated Mehjbeen of Srinagar in equal straight sets 11-1, 11-1 and Kavita of Udhampur who beat Rumaisa of Srinagar 11-5, 11-6. Earlier, the championship, wherein around 150 participants drawn from the districts of Srinagar, Udhampur, Kathua and Pulwama, besides host Jammu are taking part, was inaugurated by the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Badminton Association (JKBA, the organisers), Mr S S Wazir in the morning. Prominent among others present in the opening function were Dr O D Sharma, D D Magotra, Dr Pradeep Sankhyadhar, Brij Sharma, Rattan Sehgal, Prof Devender Sharma, besides Ajit Singh Wazir and Balbir Singh. The competitions are being held under the supervision of Som Raj Gupta, veteran shutter and member State Sports Council and senior SAI Badminton coach, Lalita Sharma. Talking to this Correspondent, the general secretary of the JKBA, Dr O D Sharma said that out of these competitions the state team will be selected by the selectors for the forthcoming North-Zone Badminton Championship to be held at Chandigarh from September 17 to 19. Other detailed results Mini-girls singles: Parul bt Seema 11-4, 11-3; Rytham got walkover Shivani; Shefali bt Manisha 11-1, 11-2; Vandana bt Parul 11-0, 11-1; Kanika bt Feryann 11-9, 10-11, 11-7; Diksha bt Rytham 11-0, 11-0. Mini-boys singles: Amit bt Rahul of Udhampur 15-6, 15-7. Sub-junior girls singles: Harleen bt Anshu 11-4, 11-3; Vidushi got walkover Geeta of Udhampur. Sub-junior boys singles: Sameer got walkover Vikas; Myank bt Wasim of Srinagar 15-5, 15-7; Adil of Srinagar bt Sidharth of Udhampur 15-13, 15-12. |
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DBN Vidya Mandir celebrates 40th Foundation Day Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Sept 1: Dewan Badrinath Vidya Mandir celebrated their 40th Foundation Day with enthusiasm and zeal at Abhinav Theatre this evening. As soon as the prayer to the Goddess Saraswati ended, the senior students and tiny tots presented cultural programme which was highly appreciated by the fully packed hall. A scene from the Hindu traditional marriage was presented by 150 students of Kinder-Garten class. The Bharat was led by the Band and Dholak wallas. This item of the tiny tots received standing acclaim and ovation with loud applause and cheers from the audience of parents and friends. Justice K K Gupta (Retd) was chief guest on the occasion, whileas Brig K S Tulla (Retd) were guest of honour. Both the special guests were received by the chairman of the school Mr Virenderjeet Singh and the advisor, Mr Lila Karan Sharma. The chief guest, Justice Gupta (Retd), in his address was all praise for the school. He called a living example of unity in diversity to upholding the old values, tradition and culture. Guest of honour, Brig. K S Tulla (Retd), appreciated the school for its cultural back ground and discipline. He had a special word of praise for Tiny Tots. Brig Tulla called them promising future of the country. In his address, advisor, Mr Lila Karan Sharma, expressed his sincere thanks to the special guests and other dignitaries, especially the parents for having found time from their busy schedule to attend the function and encourage the budding artists. He also thanked all those persons who were associated with the successful conduct of the Foundation Day function. Earlier, the chairman, Inderjeet Singh welcomed the audience and appreciated the efforts of the management and staff and the students in raising the school to the peak. He thanked the parents for their cooperation and interest in the school affairs. |
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PLCC win opening match in Shaheed Memorial Cricket Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Sept 1: Police Lines Cricket Club (PLCC) won the inaugural match of the Ist J&K Police Shaheed Memorial Cricket Tournament beating Luxmi Cricket Club (LCC) by six wickets at Gulshan Grounds, Police Lines, here today. Earlier, after winning the toss and decided to bat first, LCC a target of 72 runs in the allotted 12 overs for five wickets. In reply, PLCC achieved the total in 9.4 overs for the loss of four wickets. Amit and Rohit were main scorers from LCC, who contributed 15 and 14 runs respectively. For PLCC, Sanjay and Rajesh claimed two wickets each, whileas Manjeet took one. Batting second, PLCC reached the required total in 9.4 overs for the loss of four wickets. Manjeet Singh turned the victory to be an easy task with his unbeaten 38 runs off 25 delivers including two sixes and an equal number of boundaries. Vikas too batted well and made 25 runs. Meanwhile, the organisers, Rama Kant Sharma and Vikram Jasrotia said that the teams interested to participate in this tournament can still get themselves registered at Ph No. 456033 to Johny. |
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BNCC, SCC win ties in Nerolac Cup Cricket Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Sept 1: Basant Nagar Cricket Club (BNCC) and Suryavanshi Cricket Club (SCC) won their respective ties to advance into the third round of the ongoing Nerolac Cup Cricket Tournament at Paloura here. In the first match, BNCC defeated Pir Baba Cricket Club (PBCC) by 60 runs. Batting first, BNCC set a target of 128 runs in the allotted 15 overs for the loss of eight wickets, which, in reply, PBCC could not chase and bowled out for 68 runs in 10.2 overs. Brief scores: BNCC: Bindu 29, Sherry 21, Ranjeet 19. Baboo-2, Mashy and Phom one wicket each. PBCC: 60 all our in 10.2 overs. Gallo not out 18, Phom 14. Raju-5 and Amit-3 wicket. Raju was named as man of the match for taking five wickets. In the second match, SCC defeated NIS Club by six wickets. Batting first after winning the toss, NIS made 76 runs losing all the wickets in 14.1 overs. In reply, SCC chased the score in 10.2 overs for four wickets. Brief scores: NIS: Ravi 23, Sohail, 16. Munna-5 (including hat-trick), Kali two wickets. SCC: Vinu 21, Gitti 21, Ravi not out 11. Pardeep, Ravi and Sohail one wicket each. Munna was named as man of the match for taking five wickets. Davinder Manhas and Tempoo were umpires, while Shafiq Ahmed and Ajay Manhas were scores. Ninda and Ranjeet were referees. Next match: BJDCC (Jr) V/s Patoli Club at 2 pm; Aap Shambu V/s Paloura Top Club at 4 pm. LONDON, Sept 1: Marcus Trescothick was recalled to the England squad today for the fourth and final test against India at the Oval on September 5. Opening batsman Trescothick had not played cricket since breaking a thumb on July 17 until he appeared for somerset in yesterday’s trophy final defeat against Yorkshire. He came through that match without apparent discomfort but is one of three players who must prove their fitness ahead of Thursday’s key encounter with the four test series level at one apiece. With all-rounder Andrew Flintoff out with a groin problem, England have included three other players who did not feature in the third test starting line-up at Headingley where India won by an innings and 46 runs. All-rounders Dominic Cork and Ronnie Irani are included in the 14-man squad while fast bowler Stephen Harmison, who made his England debut in the second test at Trent Bridge but was omitted from the final XI at Headingley, retains his place in the set-up. Only Harmison goes into the match with no lingering fitness problems. Trescothick (thumb), Irani (knee) and Cork (finger) will play in one-day league matches for their respective counties later today and tomorrow to test their fitness ahead of a five-day game. Irani, who played in all of England’s Triangular series one-day matches this summer, is recalled to the test squad after a three year absence. The Essex captain played the last of his three tests to date against New Zealand at the Oval in 1999. Commenting on the selection, England’s chairman of selectors, David Graveney, said: "We want to give these three players some more match practice before the test match and we should have a clearer picture of their fitness by Tuesday. "Although we are aware of the limited match practice Ronnie Irani has had recently, he was out for only a couple of weeks through injury and was able to practice with both ball and bat on Friday and Saturday of this week. "Marcus Trescothick played yesterday in the trophy final and suffered no reaction above the norm to his thumb injury. He was happy with the way he batted and felt fine in the field. "The selectors discussed the likely shape of the team when we met earlier in the week and we were not inclined to play seven batsmen and four bowlers. "This policy did not work for us against Sri Lanka at Lord’s (where England drew) and we feel that we will need a five-bowler combination for this test match. "At this stage without having seen the wicket, we are not expecting a surface which is especially helpful to spin and as a consequence we have decided not to include a second specialist spinner in the squad," Graveney added. There had been speculation that Yorkshire off-spinner Richard Dawson would be recalled on a ground where slow bowlers have prospered in recent seasons. Squad Nasser Hussain (capt), Mark Butcher, Andrew Caddick, Dominic Cork, John Crawley, Ashley Giles, Stephen Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Ronnie Irani, Robert Key, Alec Stewart (wk), Marcus Trescothick, Alex Tudor, Michael Vaughan. (AFP)
Award ceremony of Miss Teen-2002 held Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Sept 1: The Kings and Queen Entertainment Club, the organisers of the Miss Teen-2002, today awarded trophies and certificates to the winners and other participants in a function held at Modelling Institute at Amphalla, here. Those given awards included Tannu, Miss Teen-2002 trophy, Ritu, first runner-up, Nancy Jamwal, Beautiful Hair and Payal, Miss Cute, besides Ropali, Seema, Mehrunissa and Sonam. The dance group of Jakson Music Institute, which performed during the show, was also awarded with the trophy and certificates. The group included Amit Kumar, Vinod Kumar, Shashi Kumar, Sandeep and Roshan. The show was organised under the guidance of Club chairman, Sunil Salotra and Satish Mehra in association with Bali and Group and the events were managed by Hitesh Badyal of ‘Aashirwad’. |
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