Distt TT tourney concludes

Excelsior Coresspondent

POONCH, Nov 8: The district table tennis championship Poonch which started on October 28 in the halls of GDC Poonch has concluded. As per a release, the championship in which over 50 players participated was inaugurated by S Ajeet Singh "Jeet", president of District Table Tennis Association, Poonch.

Mr S J Bandey, secretary of Association said that the championship was organised in different categories viz cadet, sub-junior, junior and senior sections. Mr M S Khan, District Development Commissioner Poonch was the chief guest on the closing day of the tourney, who distributed away the prizes. Mr J P Singh, SP Poonch was also present on the occasion. Both the officers praised the District Table Tennis Association for organising the tournament and congratulated the players for their performance. Mr S J Bandey congratulated the team of GDC Poonch for the first time reached the final of the tournament.

In the finals Vishal Ghai beat S J Bandey in Men’s Singles, Daleep Singh and Ravinder Singh won over A S Jeet and Jamshed Malik in Men’s Doubles, while in Junior singles Vishal Ghai remained the winner and Daleep Singh as runners up. In Sub Junior Singles Vishal Ghai defeated Ravinder Singh and in Cadets Singles Japjapan Singh trounced S Singh. Consolation prizes were given to Prabhjit Singh (Umpire), Sandeep Luthra, scorer and Vinod Sharma.

Mr Sumesh Raina was also given a special prize from District Association on his better performance in Inter-College Table Tennis tournament held recently. Later Mr S J Bandey presented mementos to DC and SP Poonch.

BSF enters final of Gold Cup Football

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 8: BSF Jammu entered the final of the Ist Jammu Gold Cup Football Tournament beating Young Heros 3-0 in the first semi-final played at Mini Stadium, here today.

BSF dominated the field right from the beginning of the match and made three field goals in the 25th, 40th and 66th minutes of the match.

First goal was hit by right out M S Viswas in the first half of the match, when he converted a pass into a clean goal, surprising the Young Heros goalkeeper.

P Thapa playing at the forward position made the second goal of the match in the 40th minutes of the first half. Third field goal came through the Charanjeet Singh, who replaced P Thapa in the 26th minutes of the second half of the game.

Although, BSF players were playing confidently, even then two replacements were made. R K Paul and P Thapa were called out and Charanjeet Singh and Subir Paes were sent in.

Yellow card was shown to Tony of Young Hero in the 12th minutes of the first half. Tony made two attempts but failed. Two changes were also made by Young Heros. Raju and Ashok Kumar were sent in and Satpaul and Rajesh (Jr) were called out by the team manager.

S. Manjeet Singh of Bajwa Transport Company and VK Malhotra, Executive Engineer and veteran cricketer were the guests of honours.

Iqbal Singh and David Masih were the line referees, while Suresh Kumar and Mohan Lal acted as center refree and fourth referee respectively.

The second semi-final will be played tomorrow between Jammu Sports and Young Stars at Mini Stadium, Parade.

Ranji Trophy
Mattoo, Sanjay put J&K in commanding position

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 8: Superb 84 runs knock by Rohit Mattoo followed by unbeaten 71 by skipper, Sanjay Sharma put Jammu and Kashmir in commanding position on the second day of the four day Ranji Trophy tie being played M A Stadium, here today.

J&K made 249 runs for the loss of six wickets in reply to Haryana’s total of 310 in the first innings.

Haryana, who resumed its innings from fortnight score of 293 for eight added only 13 runs in the morning. Ashwani Gupta, who made his career’s best six wickets haul yesterday, took another wicket of Dhan Raj Singh (47) in the morning, while, Pankaj Thakur (16) became victim of Pardeep Bali’s accurate bowling.

As usual, J&K made a bad start, when openers Rajesh Gill (9) and Raju Sharma (5) went to pavilion when the score on board was just 14.

Rohit Mattoo (84, 9x4s) and skipper Sanjay Sharma, who was playing on 71 yield 102 runs together for the fifth wicket partnership. Sanjay Sharma and Pardeep Bali were on the crease when umpires called it a day.

Vinit Jain was the most successful bowler from Haryana getting three wickets, while Pankaj Thakur took two.

SROREBOARD

Rajesh Gill c Jatinder Singh b Vinit Jain 9, Raju Sharma LBW b Parinder Sharma 5, Kavaljeet Singh LBW b Vinit Jain 12, Rohit Mattoo c Pardeep Jain b Pankaj Thakur 84, Shashi Kumar LBW Pankaj Thakur 19, Sanjay Sharma not out 71, Ashwani Gupta c Vijay Yadav b Vinit Jain 20, Pardeep Bali not out 8.
Extras: 23
249 for 6 in 80 overs.
Fall of wickets: 1\10, 2\14, 3\31, 4\88, 5\190, 6\238.
Bowlings: Vinit Jain: 15-3-40-3, 4.1-0-18-1, Pankaj Thakur: 26-5-81-2, Pardeep Jain: 26.5-6-67-0, Dhan Raj Singh: 6-0-15-0, Shafiq Khan: 2-0-11-0.

Child displays courages

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 8: A rare example of courage and intelligence was exhibited by a 9 year old Master Aseem Kumar S/o Mr Jatinder Gupta of Jammu when he displayed his commonsense by saving precious lives of his Friends Biru 9 years and Mohan Lal 10 years residents of village Sure-Chak (Jammu Cantt).

Maaster Aseem was on a holiday tour to this village. While enjoying bath on the banks of river Tawi, on September 10, suddenly Biru the younger brother of Mohan slipped away. His elder brother Mohan tried his level best to save his younger brother from drowning but he himself got trapped in to the fast flowing water. Master Aseem who was watching all this from the outside tried to save his two friends by jumping into the river. He tried to catch-hold of both the friends but couldn't succeed. The fast flowing water was taking his friends far-off, realising the pressure flow of water and without wasting time he came out of the river and started shouting - Bachao! Bachao!! "Whoh Doob Rahe Hain". On listning the cries two passers by uniformed soldiers came for help and jumped into the river and saved the lives of Biru and Mohan.

Master Assem Kumar's courage and presence of mind brought fruit in the shape of smiles on the face of his village friends.

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Cricket tourney begins in Katra

Excelsior Correspondent

KATRA, Nov 8: A limited overs cricket tournament being organised by Mata Vaishnodevi Cricket Club was inaugurated today at Panthal, near here. Sixteen teams are participating in the tournament, which was inaugurated by Congress (I) leader Mr Jugal Kishore.

Final match of the tournament has been scheduled for November 22. the first match was played between SNN Club Panthal and HSS Club Katra.

The tournament has been sponsored by Hotel Holiday, SSN Bal Niketan School, K L and Sons and other business houses of Katra.

Late order fightback rescues Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Nov 8: A spirited late order rally helped Pakistan to 217 for seven from their 50 overs in the second one-day international against Australia today.

The fightback was led by all-rounder Azhar Mahmood, who scored a defiant 65 after the home team had slumped to 59 for five from 31 for no loss.

Mahmood, whose career-best knock came from 90 balls with five boundaries, was very well supported by wicketkeeper Moin Khan and Wasim Akram.

Moin, Pakistan’s rescue man, scored an attractive 41 from 68 balls ad ded 78 runs for the sixth wicket with Mahmood.

Mahmood, dropped from the first match, then shared a 57-run seventh wicket partnership with Wasim Akram, whose 32-ball 34 included three fours and a six.

Mahmood and Akram helped Pakistan make 79 runs in the last 10 overs after a horrendous batting display by the top order annulled the advantage of batting first on a good track.

Aamir Sohail was dismissed for 15, debutant Asif Mahmood for 14, Ijaz Ahmad for five, Salim Malik for eight and Yousuf Yohanna without scoring.

Australia’s performance was, however, overshadowed by three dropped catches - two by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist and one by Darren Lehmann.

Lehmann sustained a serious head injury wen he fell on his head while attempting a difficult catch offered by Aamir Sohail. Lehmann walked off the field in the seventh over and took no further part in the proceedings.

Brendon Julian was the destroyer-in-chief, demolishing the top order to finish with three for 40. Glenn Mcgrath, Damien Fleming and Brad Young bagged one wicket each. (REUTERS)

Holland lift Champions Trophy to complete grand slam

LAHORE, Nov 8 : Olympic and World Champions Holland completed a unique Gramd Slam’ of men’s hockey by lifting the Champions Trophy, beating hosts Pakistan 3-1 in the final here today.

Holland became the only side to hold all three prestigious hockey titles. They won the Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996 and the World Cup at home in Utrecht in June this year.

Australia finished third, outlasting South Korea on penalty stroke sudden death 9-8, while Spain finished fifth by scoring a golden goal to beat defending champions Germany 3-2.

Hosts Pakistan were subdued by a better Dutch side as the champions gave no quarter to their opponents.

Holland altered their ranks after their 5-3 defeat by Pakistan in the league stage last Wednesday and did not committhe same mistakes of giving Pakistani players enough space.

I am delighted because it was my dream to complete grand slam of titles and this goes on to prove that Holland is the best side in recent times, a delighted Holland captain Ronald Janssen said.

Pakistan, egged on by a near capacity 40,000 crowd, opened the match in an aggressive manner, forcing a penalty corner in the 11th minute on a move from the right side.

Right-in Atif Bashir put the ball in the goal when he took a rebound from Sohail’s Abbas’s push. Pakistan’s goal came in the 12th minute. Holland forced four penalty corners in the next 15 minutes and on the second short corner Bram Lomans placed the ball in the right coner of Pakistan’s goal. Peit Geeris put the world champions into lead in the 25th minute, converting a fine pass from Remco Van Wijk, who dodged three Pakistani defendersona solo move.

Marten Eikelboom completed the Dutch tally when he sneaked the ball in the goal from Remco Van Wijk’s pass with two minutes left.

Holland defeated Pakistan with the same margin to lift the 1990 World Cup at this very ground.

For the third place, Australia defeated South Korea in a nerve wrecking sudden death penalty stroke session.

In a highly thrilling match Australian goalkeeper Lechlan Dreher stopped a penalty stroke in the sudden death session to help his team record a 9-8 win.

The South Koreans owe their defeat to poor finishing by their forwards as they wasted no less than five clear chances, while Australia can thank the outstanding efforts of Dreher, who blocked several near goals.

Bot Tams were locked at 1-1 in the regulation 70 minutes and no goals came in the extra two halves. They also remained level for the five penalty strokes.

Even this was not without drama as the South Koreans began celebrating victory thinking the fifth penalty goal by Australian had missed.

But on appeal by the Australians, both umpires consulted tournament officials and awarded the fifth penalty stroke. James Elmer’s push seemed to have struck the cross bar and gone out but replays showed it went in the goal and came out.

The dejected South Koreans then had to march back to complete the penalty stroke session. (AFP)

Kerala fighting to save follow-on

HYDERABAD, Nov 8: On a day marred by bad light and light drizzle Kerala were 103 for 5 when play was called off one over after tea break because of rain on the penultimate day of the South Zone Ranji Trophy cricket league match played against Hyderabad at NFC Ground in the city outskirts here today.

Hyderabad who declared their first innings close for 406 for 5, saw Kerala crawl to score 103 losing five wickets in 62 overs.

Kerala who were 29 for one yesterday added 74 runs today in 44 overs losing four wickets.

Kerala skipper K N Ananthapadmanabhan top scored for his team with 48 runs. His knock contained five hits to the fence.

Hyderabad skipper Venkatpathi Raju and off spinner Kanwaljit Singh claimed two wickets each while medium pacer Narenderpal Singh took the other wicket.

Brief scores: Hyderabad 406 for 5 decl, Kerala 103 for 5 in 62 overs ( K N Ananthapadmanabhan 48, Venkatpathi Raju 2 for 20, Kanwaljit Singh 2 for 36, N P Singh 1 for 45). (UNI)

Asian Junior basketball
Qatar out-plays India

CALCUTTA, Nov 8: Hosts India played their hearts out but succumbed to strong contenders Qatar 58-79 in their last Group-B league match to bow out of the 15th Asian Basketball Confederation championship for junior men at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here today.

The Indians, who desperately needed to pull off an upset victory over Qatar to keep their quarter-final hopes alive in the championship, could not counter their superior opponents much to the dismay of the small but vociferous home crowd.

The hosts played a tight game to keep the Qatar cagers at bay for most part of the opening half but their rivals found their bearing after the breather to fashion a comfortable win.

Defending champions China, Qatar, Japan, Chnese Taipei, Philippines and Kazakhstan were the six teams who have already made it to the quarter-final league stage of the 15-team championship.

India completed their Group-B league engagements with just two points, having won their match against Pakistan and lost to Malaysia and Qatar.

The hosts, who finished 13th in the last edition of the championship held in Malaysia in 1996, would now seek to improve their overall position in the placement matches. The Indians again relied on their captain S Robinson to do the bulk of the scoring as he alone fetched 21 points for the team. The fleetafooted Des Raj and Vinay Kumar Yadav chipped in with 11 points each.

With Qatar keeping on increasing the lead in the second session, the Indians made a number of long-ranged attempts but were not always lucky in getting points.

The towering D Bashir was the pick of the Qatar cagers as he piled up 24 points for his team while Ali Saleh contributed 20 points which contained as many as five three-pointers.

Qatar thus complete their Group-B league engagements with six points to take the top position with an all-win record.

In the most exciting match of the championship so far, Kazakhstan edged out South Korea 79-78 in the extra time in their last Group-D league match to romp into the quarter final stage. Both he EMS were locked 69-69 at the end of the full time.

Strong contenders Japan, who had already assured a berth in the quarter finals, thrashed Kuwait 82-36 in the last Group-C league match while Philippines pulverised Bangladesh 108-38 in another ridiculously one-sided Group-C league match. (PTI)

Punjab spinners bowl out Services for 178

NEW DELHI, Nov 8: Punjab spinners held sway to claim all but one wicket as they bowled out Services for a paltry 178 runs on the rain-truncated second day of their North-Zone Ranji Trophy cricket tie at the Palam Ground here today.

Skipper Chinmaya Sharma struck a defiant, watchful 65 (10 x 4) and was the ninth man out, but the rest of the Services batsmen were helpless against the slow bowlers.

Left-arm spinner Navdeep Singh took an impressive 4 for 28 and young off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, in his first match after getting a clean chit on his bowling action, took three wickets for 54. Leg spinner Sandeep Sawal, who has come in this season in place of veteran Bharti Vij, took 2 for 19.

Punjab were 5 for none in 3.1 overs when play, extended beyond scheduled close, was halted owing to fading light.

Services, overnight 49 for two, lost wickets regularly after play began at 1300 hours as early morning showers had left the outfield wet. Almost the entire morning session and an hour in the afternoon was lost yesterday owing to rain.

Chinmoy Sharma and CD Thomson (21 - 3 x 4) added 47 runs for the fifth wicket to revive the innings from a poor 69 for four but Sawal found the breakthrough when Thomson lofted him to harvinder at long-off. Chinmaya’s stay ended when he miscued a sweep off Navdeep Singh for stumper Pankaj Dharmani to run round and pouch the catch at short midwicket.

Harbhajan, bowling with an easy action, kept the batsmen on tenterhooks and looked to have overcome the recent distraction over his action.

Brief scores: Services 178 all out in 89.1 overs (C Sharma 65) Vs Punjab 5 for no loss in 3.1 overs. (PTI)

Law on throwing needs to be reviewed: Bedi

NEW DELHI Nov 8: Indian spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi has said it was time the International Cricket Council (ICC) changed the law on ‘chucking’ to end the controversy over the way in which bowlers were being hauled up for suspect action.

Castigating the Cricket Board (BCCI) for not backing teenaged off-spinner Harbhajan Singh - pulled up for a suspect bowling action but subsequently cleared - like Sri Lanka had stood by their off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, he said it was time ICC redrafted law 42 governing ‘unfair play’.

Bedi said video clippings on Harbhajan, Rajesh Chauhan, Muralitharan and his teammate Kumara Dharmasena, made it appear that all of them throw, ‘only because the law says so’.

‘But unfortunately, the authority vested with umpires to call for throwing has been taken away and given to the referee who is so far away from the scene of action,’ he said.

The venerated left-arm spinner said BC’s handling of the Harbhajan episode - which has ended with the ICC-appointed former England off-spinner Fred Titmus clearing his action -had only left him under tremendous psychological pressure.

Bedi himself had a two-hour private session with the Punjab youngster here recently and suggested that he had to correct certain flaws in his delivery style.

‘The problem was actually with the position of his left arm. The boy was rushing in too fast and his head was falling away. These were exactly the things pointed out by Titmus, but we are yet to get out of our colonial hang-over,’ he said in an interaction with journalists yesterday. (PTI)