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Mbeki promotes African JOHANNESBURG, Sept 11: South African President Thabo Mbeki used the official opening of the all Africa games yesterday to promote his dream of an African renaissance. Mr Mbeki told a cheering crowd of 20,000 spectators and athletes from 50 countries and dignitaries including International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch that 2000 must mark the rebirth of Africa.....more
NEW DELHI, Sept 11: Despite a loss at the US Open final yesterday, the ‘Indian Express’ has finally chugged into the record books.....more |
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US-bound India-A NEW DELHI, Sept 11: The four-day preparatory camp at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here wound.....more Chance for fringe NEW DELHI, Sept 11: Talented players trying to enter the senior squad and others, including.....more Steve Waugh discharged COLOMBO, Sept 11: Australian skipper Steve.....more Judicial inquiry into ISLAMABAD, Sept 11: The judicial commission...more Board made no long-term MUMBAI, Sept 11: Moin Khan, Pakistan’s...more |
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Mbeki promotes African renaissance dream JOHANNESBURG, Sept 11: South African President Thabo Mbeki used the official opening of the all Africa games yesterday to promote his dream of an African renaissance. Mr Mbeki told a cheering crowd of 20,000 spectators and athletes from 50 countries and dignitaries including International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch that 2000 must mark the rebirth of Africa. "This must be a future of the fundamental renewal of our continent leading to the restoration of the dignity of all our peoples," Mr Mbeki said. "There must be a United African effort to turn the 21st century into the century of the African renaissance." The success of the games, which is the largest sports event to be hosted by South Africa, is seen as vital for the country to secure the 2006 soccer World Cup. The 11-day event has attracted over 5,000 athletes in 18 sports. The opening ceremony was overshadowed after hundreds of children suffered food poisoning and were taken to hospitals around the city. Some 400 to 600 children were taken ill at the stadium shortly after a lunch of meat stew and maize meal, a doctor at one hospital said. Most were discharged from hospital after treatment. The incident came amid complaints from athletes and officials of organisational problems, schedules changing daily and athletes queuing for hours to get meals and transport. The first two days have passed peacefully in this crime-wracked city. Thousands of police and Army personnel have been deployed at venues and in escorting athletes to and from events. South African Sports Minister NcGonde Balfour said that, by hosting the games, his country was thanking the continent for its support of liberation movements fighting to overthrow decades of white minority rule under apartheid. "It is our way of saying thank you for for the role you have played in ridding us of our hideous past," Balfour said. The crowd braved a cold evening to witness an opening ceremony throbbing with Afro-Jazz music and vigorous dance and laser shows rounded off with fireworks. (REUTERS) |
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NEW DELHI, Sept 11: Despite a loss at the US Open final yesterday, the ‘Indian Express’ has finally chugged into the record books. Reaching all four slam finals in a calender year, winning two (French Open and Wimbledon), Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi (who are better known as the Indian express on the tennis circuit) have become the first duo in the open era, or the periods since 1969 when tennis became truly professional, to achieve the feat. Giving a cricket-crazed country something to be proud of in the sports arena, the duo has convincingly maintained supremacy in the doubles edition, overcoming injuries and mutual differences. The teaming of the Indians, who are currently the top-ranked doubles pair, dates back to a 50,000-dollar challenger at Jakarta in October 1994. The pair, who has had a successful run this year, sharing four grand slams among themselves, however achieved this smooth sailing not before their share of toil, hard work and trouble- both at the professional as well as the personal level. Last year, they lost in the semifinals of the Australian Open, French Open and the US Open. Although the pair had won many tour titles, a slam success in the doubles event (Bhupathi having won the French Open mixed title, pairing with Rika Hiraki of Japan in 1997) remained elusive to the Indians, their closest brush being at the Australian Open this year where they narrowly lost to Patrick Rafter and Jonas Bjorkman. They finally broke through the ‘slam jinx’ (if it may be so called), at the clay courts in the French Open on June 6. The breakthrough was achieved without much fanfare over a rain-interrupted final spread over two days. The pair followed the breakthrough with probably the biggest victory of their career, winning the Wimbledon in July. They overcame the duo of Dutchman Paul Haarhuis and Jared Palmer (US) 6-7 (10-12), 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). However, at the US Open, the duo, who was seeded top, was beaten by eleventh seeds Sebastien Lareau of Canada and American Alex O’Brien 6-7 (7-9), 4-6. But even though they have lost in New York, the fact that they reached the finals of all grand slam this year is a record feat. Expressing happiness, Paes had said it was a fantastic feeling. "We have proven to India we can produce champions, even if only in doubles," he was reported to be saying. Now the major title they would be aiming at would be the yearender world doubles championship at Hartford, for which they have already qualified. Last year the Indians had to withdraw from the championship due to an injury to Paes. The duo’s success at the professional level, however, has been been plagued by mutual differences, which at times almost led to their break-up at the pinnacle of success. A misunderstanding last month prior to a tour event in Indianapolis deteriorated into something worse with each pairing with another partner. Paes had said, "it was very, very tough." "I feel that being at No 1, where we are now, there’s a lot of things that come along with that," Paes was reported to be saying, hinting that differences were part and parcel of the success they share. The differences had started erupting towards the end of last year as the small differences between the two deteriorated in a communication gap. The many reasons included a struggle for spotlight, doubts over the other’s commitment to the team and differences with the Davis Cup structure. These became public during the Davis Cup tie of the country against China where Paes vented his unhappiness. However, the duo came back on track at the Gold Flake Open in Chennai and things seemed to be going on fine. Sounding an optimistic note Paes was now reported to be saying at new york, "I hope the all-important communication between us, which was not right, gets better." "The understanding which we share on court... Has to be kept intact." He said over the years the two had forged strong bonds, and they were not going to snap easily. The duo, who have successfully tided over their differences to emerge victorious at the professional level, now have to show they can duplicate the fact the personal level too. (UNI) |
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US-bound India-A team preparatory camp concludes NEW DELHI, Sept 11: The four-day preparatory camp at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here wound up today on a note of optimism struck by coach of the US-bound India-A team Krishnamachari Srikkanth even though rains prevented the team from having full-fledged nets on all but the final day. Compared to the first three days when the weather gods dogged the team by restricting their practice session to just fielding — as the area in and around the pitch remained soggy — today was better. "Players today had a relatively active practice session in all departments of the game," Srikkanth said after the team’s concluding session at the nets. "Besides serious practice sessions and workouts, the prime aim was to bring the youngsters together. It got achieved," added the former national skipper. "Most of the players have not been engaged in competitive cricket for long. After a long lay-off, these four days helped them get into rhythm. Maybe some of them used to practise during off-season, but there is nothing like doing it together." Srikkanth had a testing time to not lose his focus after the goof-up episode related to Mithun Manhas’s replacement, which left the team slightly shaken on the second day of the camp. "Forget it and hope the team would do well," he said. Srikkanth looked satisfied with the inclusion of Delhi’s left-arm pacer Ashish Mehra and Madhya Pradesh’s all-rounder J P Yadav in place of right-arm seamer Amit Bhandari and Baroda’s prolific scorer Jacob Martyn, who have been included in the national squad for Roronto series against West Indies. Expressing confidence in the leadership skills of Hyderabad’s V V S Laxman and the performance of team, he said the team is well balanced with all-rounders galore. "See, the squad comprises mostly of youths. This will give us an edge over the australians," he observed, adding that it is good chance for all to make best use of this opportunity. "The morale of the boys seem high and hopefully they will play to their potential against Australia-A (in the five match one-day series in Los Angeles beginning on September 15)," he said, though at the same breath added that any opposition in a one-dayer cannot be taken lightly. Limited-over opening batsman and wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist is leading the Australia-A cricket team, coached by former captain Allan Border. It contains two players — Damien Martyn and Andrew Symonds — from the squad that toured Sri Lanka recently. Teams: India-A : V V S Laxman (captain), Sameer Dighe (vice-captain), S S Das, Davendra Bundela, Vijay Bhardwaj, Mohammed Kaif, S Sriram, Virendra Sehwag, Dodda Ganesh, Rahul Sanghvi, J P Yadav, Ashish Mehra and Harbhajan Singh. Australia-A : Adam Gilchrist (captain), Damien Martyn, Ryan Campbell, Brendan Creevey, Michael Di Venuto, Lea Hansen, Brad Hodge, Brett Lee, Scott Muller, Corey Richards, Andrew Symonds and Brad Young. One-day schedule: September 15, 16, 18, 19 and 21. (UNI) |
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Chance for fringe players to make their mark NEW DELHI, Sept 11: Talented players trying to enter the senior squad and others, including skipper V V S Laxman, striving to make a comeback, will get a fine chance when India A take on Australia A in a five-match one-day series to be played in Los Angeles from September 15 to 21. The 14-member squad, a focus of controversy over the replacement of all-rounder Mithun Manhas with his Delhi teammate and left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra at the last minute, will hope to make a fight of it against a strong Aussie side as they leave here tonight for the US via Bangkok. The boys are very enthusiastic, especially with the series coming at the beginning of the season. They are all raring to go and their attitude was very positive during the brief camp, though rain denied us any nets, coach and former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth told PTI ahead of the team’s departure. Though the matches will be played at a neutral venue and will be a one-day series, Srikkanth said it will be a challenge for the boys in taking on the strong Aussie team led by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist. The coach said a new turf wicket has been prepared for the matches in Los Angeles and the idea was to globalise the game. Anyway we do play a lot of matches in neutral venues these days, he said adding that players will get a fine opportunity to make the senior squad with a hectic season lying ahead. (PTI) |
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Board made no long-term commitment to me: Khan MUMBAI, Sept 11: Moin Khan, Pakistan’s new captain, is aware that the country’s Cricket Board had made no long-term commitment to him. "I will be glad to hand back the captaincy to Wasim Bhai whenever he is available to play for Pakistan," Khan said modestly during an interview to website mid-day.com. He expressed opinions on various issues including Indian captaincy and said it was expected Sachin Tendulkar would be named skipper after the Board of Control for Cricket in India decided to drop Mohammad Azharuddin. Khan said he had greater respect for Ajay Jadeja and rated him as a fierce competitor along with Australian captain Steve Waugh. "Jadeja is a good fighter and thinker. We get along well off the field as well." Moin also said that even if they had to play India in Toronto his boys would have come out on top. When asked how the Pakistani players felt about not playing India in Toronto, Moin was diplomatic, "look, we had no problems playing against them in Toronto, neither did our Board. The Indians pulled out themselves. As far as we are concerned, we go by what our Board tells us." Khan dispelled the impression that there was any tension between the players. "All the competitiveness and tension is restricted to the field. Off the field we get along well. I have personally never faced problems with any of their players," he concluded. (UNI) |
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