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Exhausted
Greg Rusedski tired of BASLE, SWITZERLAND, Oct 9: Exhausted third seed Greg Rusedski said yesterday he was more tired of Nicolas Kiefer’s tactics than he was of his own ....more
Tendulkar in fine fettle, MOHALI, Oct 9: Buoyed by skipper Sachin Tendulkar’s return to fitness, a young and eager Indian team for the new millennium will be determined to cash in fully on home advantage against a confident new zealand in the first clash of their three-test series beginning here tomorrow. ...more Lara smashes DHAKA, Oct 9: Brian Lara bludgeoned the Bangladesh bowling to....more Friends XI win by Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 9: Friends Eleven registered four runs victory of Crescents........more |
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 Students of Stepping Angels School, who won medals in the recently concluded District Karate-Do-Championship. Anupam bagged gold, Rishi Razdan, Kritika Kumar and Anjuman Ayoub won silver medals, whereas Girja Thakur claimed bronze. They were trained by Sanjeev Dewan, 2nd degree Black belt. Sports
Meet at RRL school Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 9: Vineet claimed gold in boys 200 meters....more Paramjeet Memorial Cricket Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 9: Tara Cricket Club defeated Gafu Cricket...more BSF Jammu enters Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 9: Border Security Force (BSF), Jammu...more Frontier Club lifts Amin Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 9: Frontier Club lifted the Mohd Amin...more |
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Exhausted Greg Rusedski tired of Kiefer tactics BASLE, SWITZERLAND, Oct 9: Exhausted third seed Greg Rusedski said yesterday he was more tired of Nicolas Kiefer’s tactics than he was of his own gruelling schedule after crashing out in the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoor Championships. Rusedski, who had been enjoying a rich run of form coming off his 1.3 million dollars victory at last week’s Grand Slam Cup, fell 2-6 7-6 6-3 to Kiefer, capping off a brutal day that saw the tournament’s top three seeds, world number one Andre Agassi, number two Yevgeny Kafelnikov and the Briton fall within hours of each other. Rusedski seemed to be in complete control of his match at first, easily winning the opening set and roaring to a 3-0 lead in the second. But Kiefer, employing what Rusedski appeared to feel were distracting and unsportsmanlike tactics, fought back to force a tiebreak which he won 7-4. With the momentum and the crowd firmly in his corner, the 22-year-old German recorded the key break to go up 4-2 as an exhausted Rusedski played the remaining points like a beaten man. "I’m just mentally and physically exhausted, I think everything just caught up with me," said Rusedski. "Kiefer plays a lot of games out there, stalling and pumping his hands and looking right at me when I double faulted. "I fell right into his trap. Instead of letting it go, I let it bother me." He added: "it’s happened too many times, that’s the final straw." But the briton, ranked eight in the world, acknowledged: "I can’t continue to do that." Rusedski has played his way through a particularly demanding schedule recently, entering four tournaments and a Davis Cup tie in just over a month. Less than a week after his fourth round defeat at the U.S. Open, the Canadian born Briton bombed out in the first round of the Tashkent Tournament. Just 11 days later he was back on court ensuring Britain’s position in the world group of the Davis Cup with a highly charged two days of tennis against South Africa. Two more days later saw him playing the most lucrative tournament of his life as he battled through to win the Grand Slam Cup, leaving himself only three days to recover before stepping back on court to begin his bid for the Swiss Indoor Championships. (REUTERS) |
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Tendulkar in fine fettle, home advantage for India MOHALI, Oct 9: Buoyed by skipper Sachin Tendulkar’s return to fitness, a young and eager Indian team for the new millennium will be determined to cash in fully on home advantage against a confident new zealand in the first clash of their three-test series beginning here tomorrow. The 26-year-old batting maestro, briefly forced out of action to tend to his recurring back problem in Australia, declared he was in great shape to lead the batting assault in the absence of former skipper Mohammed Azharuddin and stumper Nayan Mongia - the two men who formed an integral part of the ‘team of the nineties’ - to enable the hosts make a big impact on return to test cricket after an almost eight-month gap. The Indian squad, comprising three newcomers will give 23-year-old wicket keeper M S K Prasad his first cap and the distinction as the first player from Andhra to play for India. The other two, 28-year-old Bengal opener Devang Gandhi and Karnataka all-rounder Vijay R Bharadwaj also hold an even chance of making the eleven in a team with enough flexibility. Both Tendulkar and newly appointed coach Kapil Dev were guarded about the playing side as the selection committee under Chandu Borde will hold a meeting with the Punjab Cricket Association stadium pitch that sports a fair sprinkling of grass quite high in their minds. The absennce of 36-year-old Azhar, a veteran of 98 tests with 6,104 runs in his kitty, has opened up possibilities for youngsters to seal the spot as India hope to leave behind the disappointing show at the May-June World Cup in England and a mixed showing in the one-day tournaments that followed. India have lost only two of their 21 tests at home against the Kiwis spread over six series, but will be focussing on how to deploy their bowling which has not been consistent with the out-of-form leg spinner Anil Kumble under pressure to regain his role as the strike bowler at home. India, hoping to avenge the 0-1 series loss in New Zealand late last year, are slightly better off in the pace department where Javagal Srinath’s six-wicket haul in Karnataka’s Irani trophy tie against rest of India and swing bowler Debashish Mohanty’s pleasing wicket-taking form in the just-ended one-dayers stand out. But Stephen Fleming’s men, fresh from a historic 2-1 series triumph in England will be no pushovers. They have entered the series aware of what to expect and are keen to translate the new-found confidence inculcated by Aussie coach Steve Rixon under his successor David Trist on his maiden trip in the job. The Kiwi top order which came good in England when it mattered has had a good outing in the drawn encounter against the Board President’s XI at Jodhpur, where Craig Mcmillan smashed his career-beat unbeaten 168 with opener Matt Horne, Craig Spearman as well as wicketkeeper Adam Parore helped themselves to half centuries on a placid track. The Indian bowlers will have their task cut out. Srinath was dropped after the triangular one-day tournament in Sri Lanka in August while Kumble, who emulated Englishman Jim Laker by claiming 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan at New Delhi to help India square the two-test series, also suffered the same fate. How Kumble manages to regain his confidence after the selectors reposed faith in him by selecting his for the first Test is to be seen. Young off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, also out of the nation-al side for eight months, claimed four wickets in Jodhpur but was handled confidently by Mcmillan and company then on. Left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi, the 30-year-old Karnataka player who rediscovered the virtues of a classical and orthodox approach and boosted by his sensational haul of five wickets for six runs against South Africa in the just-ended quadrangular in Nairobi, gives further option to the hosts as does Bharadwaj whose fastish off-spin has been found more than useful. Venkatesh Prasad and Mohanty will be in a race of their own to seal a place in the side. Prasad was shockingly omitted and the latter chosen when India last played a test here, in 1997 November against Sri Lanka, but the gangling Orissa season has come a long way since then with consistent performance and increased pace to go with it.(UNI) ———————————— |
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Lara smashes Bangla bowlers, Windies 314 for six DHAKA, Oct 9: Brian Lara bludgeoned the Bangladesh bowling to notch up a scintillating 117 runs as West Indies posted an imposing total of 314 for six wickets in the second day-night match of their two-match one-day internationals here today. West Indies skipper Lara won the toss and decided to bat on a perfect batting track. The stylish left-hander, playing in his 158th one-day international, led from the front as he came out to open the innings with Sherwin Campell. Lara, who could manage only two runs in the first tie last night at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, shrugged off his indifferent form to launch a blistering attack on the inexperienced Bangladesh bowlers. West Indies openers started firing on all cylinders from the word go with Lara specially in a menacing mood. The West Indies reached their first 50 in only 5.1 overs and doubled the score in 10.4 overs. Lara thrilled the local crowd with masterly drives, cuts and pulls to record his 50 off only 22 deliveries which was studded with 12 breathtaking boundaries. Campbell was out for 28 runs off 30 balls, only after the first wicket stand had yielded 98 runs in less than 10 overs. Young batting sensation Ricardo Powell came at number three to join his skipper. Both of them continued with the onslaught as reached 150 in the 14th over. Powell scored 21 runs coming off only 16 deliveries. Lara reached his 13th one-day century in grand style when he slammed Bangladesh vice captain and mediumpacer Khaled Mahmud for 22 runs in the 14th over of West Indies innings. He first lifted Mahmud for a massive six over the head of the bowler, then followed it up with a classic square cut boundary and drove him through covers for another boundary. The next shortpitched ball was smacked between the mid-wicket boundaries and then completed the misery for Mahmud with another delightful straight drive past the bowler. Lara recorded the second fastest century in the one-day internationals off just 45 deliveries. He passed Sri Lankan skipper Sanath Jayasurya’s 48 ball century against Pakistan in Singapore in 1996 but missed Pakistani Shahid Afridi’s fastest one-day hundred scored off 38 balls against Sri Lanka at Nairobi in 1996. The West Indies star reached another milestone today when he joined the 6000-run club on reaching 18 runs during his brilliant knock. He is the fourth West Indian batsman after Viv Richards, Desmond Haynes and Richie Richardson to pass the landmark. Lara was finaly out, bowled by Habibul Bashar after a magestic 117, coming off only 64 deliveries and studded with 19 boundaries and three huge sixes. Lara, going for an adventurous shot, chopped the short-pitched delivery from the occasional off-spinner onto his stumps. (PTI) |
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Friends XI win by four runs in Rohit Memorial Cricket Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 9: Friends Eleven registered four runs victory of Crescents in the ongoing Rohit Bhat Memorial Cricket Tournament being played at GMC grounds, here today. Electing to bat Friends Eleven scored 124 runs in 20 overs. Shabab scored 33 runs, while Gagan and Virinder Bhagat added 15 and remained unbeaten. Virinder Bahu took three for 14 and Sudesh two for 20 from Crescents. Batting second, Crescents started on a positive note scoring 68 runs for the first wicket partnership in first 10 overs. But, a good bowlings spell by Virinder Bhagat (2 for 20) and Gagan (4 for 19) coupled with some excellent fielding brought victory for Friends Eleven. In another match of the day, Thunder Bold Cricket Club beat HCC by eight wickets. |
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BSF Jammu enters semis of Guru Teg Bahadur Hockey Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 9: Border Security Force (BSF), Jammu defeated Prof Kanwar Sports Club, Udhampur to enter into the semi-finals of the ongoing Guru Teg Bahadur Hockey Tournament being played here today. BSF Jammu could not face any difficulty in sidelining the new comers Prof Kanwar Club, which took part for the first time in any Open tournament at Jammu. The first goal scored in fourth minute of the match through H Topno to end the first half 1-0. Second goal came in the 6th minute of the second half through P Kutaa. H Topno and Nishan Singh scored third and fourth goal in the 15th and 20th minute. Fifth and final goal was also scored by Nishan Singh in the dying minutes of the match. Now, BSF Jammu will take on Richi Land Club in the first semi-final tomorrow. The Udhampur team, which participate for the first time in the tournament was prepared by the Association general secretary. |
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Frontier Club lifts Amin Memorial Hockey trophy Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 9: Frontier Club lifted the Mohd Amin Memorial trophy beating K-Wanderers 5-4 in a well contested final which played at Shri Amar Singh College, here today. During the final, both sides missed their target on a number of occasions. However, Frontier Club, who was right on the top from the beginning won the final making all the five goals in the second half. The first half of the match remained barren. In the second half, Rajinder Singh Badal of K-Wanderers scored the first goal in the seventh minute of the match, but was soon equalised by centre-forward Raja in the 15th minute. Thereafter, no side could able to add goal to their tally and the match ended in a 1.1 draw. Later, in the tie-breakers, Frontier Club’s hitter emerged victorious hitting four goals against three by K-Wanderers. Asif, Thair, Adil and Mazil scored goals from Frontier, while Ranbir Singh, Gurjeet and Ravinder were the successful hitters from K-Wanderers. In the final, besides other distinguished gathering, all the members of Jammu and Kashmir Hockey Association were present. The tournament was organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Hockey Association. Messrs Gurdeep Singh, Sangral and Ranjit Sing Bakshi supervised the final match. |
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