NEW DELHI, Oct 6: Injured ace Indian hockey defender Jugraj Singh undergoing treatment at the Batra Hospital today took further steps towards recovery managing to walk for the first time since meeting after a car accident in Jallandhar about four weeks ago.............more

We need to regroup
to stage comeback
in the series: Smith

FAISALABAD (Pakistan), Oct 6: South Africa’s Graeme Smith is concerned about his team’s performances as they try to prevent Pakistan from clinching the five-match one-day series here tomorrow.............more

40,000 condoms for
athletes, officials

ABUJA, Oct 6: It wasn’t listed on the official programme, but there was a race for condoms at the All African Games in Nigeria which kicked off on Saturday. Some 40,000 condoms distributed free by organisers were snapped up by 6,000 athletes, 1,200 officials and 1,500 journalists................more

Woods clinches WGC title

WOODSTOCK (Georgia), Oct 6: World number one Tiger Woods has won his fifth GPA tour title of the season with a two-shot victory in the WGC-American............more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 6: Pahalwan Allah Mai (Ranga) of Shiv Mandir Akhara, Jammu clinched the 50th Chenani Kesari title beating Gamma of Ludhiana in Punjab.....more

Jammu Distt Billiards & Snooker Championship
Semis position cleared
in Junior Snooker

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 6: Semi-finals line-up has been drawn in Junior Snooker in the Jammu District Billiards and Snooker Championship...........more

Inter-School U-14 Cricket
Despite Arjun’s hat trick,
Happy Model loses match

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, Oct 6: Despite hat trick by Arjun, who took four wickets, Happy Model Higher Secondary School lost to AO Convent by eight runs in the district..........more

Lal Singh nominated
patron-in-chief of State
Wrestling Association

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 6: Jammu and Kashmir Wrestling Association has nominated Health and Medical Education Minister, Lal Singh as.......more

Chinar Primaries Nagrota celebrates annual day......

Speaker inaugurates Dangal at Akhnoor.....

Appoint Kotwal as Division Officer: PETs.....

Jugraj walks for the first time, to fly to USA in a week

NEW DELHI, Oct 6: Injured ace Indian hockey defender Jugraj Singh undergoing treatment at the Batra Hospital today took further steps towards recovery managing to walk for the first time since meeting after a car accident in Jallandhar about four weeks ago.

Assisted by father Rajinder Singh and Indian Hockey Federation president KPS Gill, Jugraj walked a few steps, and doctors said he would soon be back to the field.

The team of doctors attending on the 20-year-old penalty corner specialist said he would be taken to the us in a week for further treatment.

The Indian Olympic Association has requested the US Olympic Committee to facilitate his treatment under their medical commission.

"Jugraj is recovering fast and we hope he will be able to play in his normal form soon," his doctors said.

The player told UNI that he was feeling absolutely fine and hoped he will be back to the field soon.

The player was brought here from Ludhiana on September 28.

Meanwhile, Batra hospital chairman Al Batra today handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to Mr Gill for the national hockey team which has for the first time lifted the Asian Cup, held at Kualalumpur last week. (UNI)

We need to regroup to stage comeback
in the series: Smith

FAISALABAD (Pakistan), Oct 6: South Africa’s Graeme Smith is concerned about his team’s performances as they try to prevent Pakistan from clinching the five-match one-day series here tomorrow.

Having lost the first two day-night games in Lahore after being in commanding positions, the South African skipper said on Monday that his team had shot themselves in the foot.

"We need to regroup and play really well to come back into the series now," Smith told. "The lack of penetration in the death (final) overs, the way we panicked and let ourselves down in the first two games, it is disappointing."

"We controlled things in the middle of the innings in both matches but then let go. We had the game under control on Sunday. But three stupid run-outs and in 20 minutes we had lost control."

Pakistan, who had an easy 42-run victory in the second game after an eight-run success on Friday, need to win one more match to complete their second successive one-day series win at home this season after the 5-0 sweep over Bangladesh.

Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said some tough matches against Bangladesh had helped his players prepare for the South Africans, but warned his team to be wary of a backlash.

"South Africa are a world-class team," he said. "The quality of a world-class team is that they come back strongly. We need to work harder." Inzamam is doubtful for the third match in Faisalabad with a strained hamstring, while leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed has been ruled out with a muscle injury.

The Pakistan selectors on Monday added leg spinner Danish Kaneria and batsman Naved Latif to their one-day squad in place of Mushtaq and Salman Butt. Smith said his team needed to be more consistent and they would look at rotating players for the final games.

But he refused to blame the hot and humid conditions in Lahore, where the temperature on the pitch at times exceeded 40 celsius (104 fahrenheit).

"That is just another excuse. I think we have played well in patches and terribly in patches. We have let Pakistan back in the game."

Asked if South Africa would consider someone other than Shaun Pollock to bowl the final overs, he said: "We have to look at our options. We have come here to win the series and there is no excuse to our defeats. We need to win the next three now."

Pollock was hit for 21 runs in his final over in the first game and his bowling was again costly at the end of Pakistan’s innings yesterday.

Before the series South Africa had enjoyed a clear advantage over the Pakistanis with 25 wins in 36 one-day games. The last time Pakistan beat them in successive matches was in 1994/95.

South Africa are struggling with injuries with their most potent batsman, Herschelle Gibbs, missing the first two games with a stomach muscle problem and Neil McKenzie and Andre Nel also suffering niggling injuries.

The South Africans have called up free state batsman Morne Can Wyk as a reinforcement.

But Smith said he was happy with the performance of Makhaya Ntini in Sunday’s match. "I thought he came back well after the first match. I am glad he bowled well."

Ntini conceded 26 runs in just three overs in the first game but bounced back to take 4-46 on Sunday.

Describing the atmosphere at Lahore as "fantastic", Smith said security concerns had nothing to do with the team’s performances in the first two games.

"It is all about cricket. Injuries have made it difficult for us. But we have just played bad cricket, which is a worry." (AGENCIES)

40,000 condoms for athletes, officials

ABUJA, Oct 6: It wasn’t listed on the official programme, but there was a race for condoms at the All African Games in Nigeria which kicked off on Saturday.

Some 40,000 condoms distributed free by organisers were snapped up by 6,000 athletes, 1,200 officials and 1,500 journalists within 48 hours of the games’ opening in the capital Abuja, organisers said today.

"These games usually have high (sex) activity and we keenly follow the gospel of safe sex," said a Nigerian athlete.

Organisers promoting the safe sex message estimated that as many as 80,000 condoms would be taken up by the time the games end on August 18.

"We have been flooded with condoms and are taking them for when the need arises," a Zambian boxer told.

There are at least 30 million adults living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa — 70 percent of the total affected around the globe. In Nigeria, 3.5 million people are estimated to have or carry HIV/AIDS.

Despite the spread of the killer disease on the continent and the safe sex campaign at the Games, there are no screaming billboards in deeply conservative Nigeria about HIV or AIDS decimating African professionals.

"Abuja 2003", the official magazine of the Games did not mention the word "condom" in its 12 tabloid-style pages.

Former Nigerian leaders across the political spectrum were also celebrated as the games got rolling.

Athletes and officials were shuttled to facilities around Abuja named after former Nigerian leaders, from charismatic rulers of the early 1960s to military dictators whose iron grip and chaotic rule still affect the country of 120 million.

They include general Aguiyi Ironsi, who had ruled for just six months when he was kidnapped, tortured and brutally murdered by fellow army men in July 1966.

Athletes were handed an Abuja guide that includes directions to "Sani Abacha Barracks", preserving the memory of the dictator whose death in 1998 led to the elections that ushered in president Olusegun Obasanjo as civilian head of state.

Plaques of independence rulers Tafawa Balewa and Ahmadu Bello, who led Nigeria in its break from Britain in 1960, stood smiling from other Government facilities.

"They are part of our history. You cannot pretend that they did not exist," one Nigerian official told.

The Games could run into problems on Thursday when a strike to protest fuel price increases begins. Officials appeared unfazed, saying they had enough fuel in storage for the Games.

Hundreds of cars queued at fuel stations in Abuja to fill up before the strike. (AGENCIES)

Woods clinches WGC title

WOODSTOCK (Georgia), Oct 6: World number one Tiger Woods has won his fifth GPA tour title of the season with a two-shot victory in the WGC-American Express Championship.

Woods, who carded a two-over-par 72 for his worst round of the tournament, finished on six-under 274 to earn 1,080,000 dollars yesterday.

Fiji’s Vijay Singh, American Tim Herron and Australian Stuart appleby tied for second on 276.

David Toms came fifth another stroke back, with Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and South Korean K.J. Choi sharing sixth place on 279.

The world number one’s 39th PGA tour win was never in much doubt, but it had its moments.

Starting the final round with a two-shot lead over Singh and a three-shot advantage over Herron, Woods came under pressure from the latter midway through the round when Herron birdied the ninth hole as the leader bogeyed.

After Herron dropped a shot on the 10th, he got within one shot of the lead once more with a birdie on the par-five 12th.

However, a Woods birdie on the same hole and Herron’s three-over-par performance over the last six holes gave the winner a comfortable cushion.

"For some reason, I hit the ball pretty good starting out and then I kind of lost it a little bit in the middle of the round," Woods said.

"I didn’t really putt well today. I had the speed right, just didn’t get the ball on the correct line." (AGENCIES)

Allah Mai bags Chenani Kesari title

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 6: Pahalwan Allah Mai (Ranga) of Shiv Mandir Akhara, Jammu clinched the 50th Chenani Kesari title beating Gamma of Ludhiana in Punjab in a tough bout which lasted for 13 minutes at Higher Secondary School, Chenani in district Udhampur.

From the organisers, winner, Allah Mai got Rs 2100 in cash and first malli while runners-up Gamma Pahalwan was awarded with Rs 1000.

This dangal was organised by Chenani Dangal Committee in collaboration with J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association.

Prizes to the winners and runners-up of the main bouts were given away by Satvir Gupta, DIG Udhampur-Doda range, who was chief guest on the occasion. Sardari Lal Dubey, president, Udhampur District Indian Style Wrestling Association was guest of honour.

Prominent among others present on the occasion were Baj Nath, Pawan (SHO), Arun Kotwal (Sub-Inspector), Bhushan Kumar Gupta, Raman Kumar (Panthelwale) and Ram Rattan Gupta.

In all, 57 bouts were played wherein second malli went to Mohd Shameem of Bani Basohli who beat Lalli of Pathankot. Third main bout between Mohd Ali of Bani and Bitta of Jammu ended in a draw. In the fourth bout, Fareed Pahalwan of Jammu down Lalli of Pathankot in 18 minutes long fight.

Six veteran wrestlers, Ishwar Chand, Anant Ram, Ghulam Hussan, Duni Chand, Dhani Ran and Dwarika Nath were honoured by the organising committee in the prize distribution function.

Technical officials in this dangal were Hem Raj Gupta (Ladhi Shah), Dev Raj Manotra, Bijju Manotra, Biju Pahalwan, Hussain Din, Nand Kishore and Lashman Singh. Association members who extended helping hand were Ishwar Chand Dogra, Mohan Lal Gupta, Hem Raj Gupta, Bashir Ahmed Parwana, Girdari Lal Baru, Ashwani Kumar Regra, Chander Shekar Verma, Mohan Lal Abrol, Rajinder Kumar Abrol, Vijay Kumar Sharma, Mehboob Khan, Jagdish Raj Gupta, Chander Shekhar Pachyala, Rajan Sharma, Khem Raj, Avinash Chand, Gian Chand, Deep Abrol, Dr Rattan Lal Sharma, Shamsher Chand, Akhter Hussain Shah, Mohan Lal Girdawar, Mushtaq Hussain, Naresh Chand Anthel, Parshotam Chand, Rajinder Panchyala, Anil Kumar Pabnotra and Nitu Mathur.

Speaking on the occasion, Shiv Kumar Sharma complimented the Chenani Dangal Committee and those who were associated with them for successful conduct of the event.