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| India looking to bat just once to win the Test: Dravid AHMEDABAD, Oct 8: Vice captain Rahul Dravid, who scored an emphatic century in the first Test match against New Zealand at the Sardar Patel Stadium at Motera here today, said the team was looking to bat just once in this test to pull out a victory...............more Dravid
anchors AHMEDABAD, Oct 8: Rahul Dravid struck a classic unbeaten century as India recovered from mid-innings jolts to reach a comfortable 249 for three on the opening day of the first cricket Test against New Zealand here today...............more Imran’s
statement AHMEDABAD, Oct 8: Former BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur today termed the statement of Imran Khan that Sachin Tendulkar is not a match winning batsman as "totally unfair and unprovoked."...............more Maria hops
deftly ‘Ova’ LONDON, Oct 8: From the start the comparisons were inevitable, for like her fellow Russian Anna Kournikova, Maria............more |
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J&K skaters win 4 medals in North Zone CBSE meet Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 8: A 12-member Jammu and Kashmir Skating team has bagged four medals in the recently held CBSE North Zone Roller Skating Championship at Panipat......more JKCA Jammu wing selects probables for U-19 Cricket Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 8: Jammu wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA)............more Salil
Raina is Distt Excelsior Sports Correspondent POONCH, Oct 8: Salil Raina has lifted the Men’s singles title beating Sandeep Luthra 4-3 in the final of the District Poonch..........more District
Billiards & SnookerChampionships Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 8: Defending champion, Nishant Azad and Kuldeep Sharma have once again made.....more |
India looking to bat just once to win the Test: Dravid AHMEDABAD, Oct 8: Vice captain Rahul Dravid, who scored an emphatic century in the first Test match against New Zealand at the Sardar Patel Stadium at Motera here today, said the team was looking to bat just once in this test to pull out a victory. "We are looking only to bat once in this Test," Dravid told newspersons after the close of play. Expressing happiness over his century, Dravid said starting a new season in this fashion boosted the confidence level for the rest of the season. Admitting that he felt a bit of pressure after the departure of Tendulkar, Dravid said he knew that he could pull the team out of troubled waters along with Laxman. The vice-captain said he and Laxman had a good rapport among themselves as they had been playing for a long time. Dravid said the wicket was slow and difficult to score runs with the outfield also being a bit slow. "Considering all that the score was satisfactory for the day," he added. (UNI) |
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Dravid anchors India to safety AHMEDABAD, Oct 8: Rahul Dravid struck a classic unbeaten century as India recovered from mid-innings jolts to reach a comfortable 249 for three on the opening day of the first cricket Test against New Zealand here today. It was a slow and steady progress for the Indians but for the post-lunch session when they lost debutant opener Akash Chopra (42) and batting star Sachin Tendulkar for eight. Though runs were not exactly flowing, the Indian batsmen gave a vent to their penchant for strokemaking in patches with Dravid hitting as many as 13 fours in 110-run knock and Laxman unleashing six boundaries for his unbeaten 56 after skipper Sourav Ganguly won the toss and elected to bat on a placid wicket. Dravid, who came in when the team’s score read 35 for one, played the sheet anchor role to perfection, adding 115 vital runs for the unfinished fourth wicket with the stylish Laxman. The final session proved to be the most productive for India with Dravid and Laxman negotiating the pace-spin attack with ease and elan to add 100 runs to the total. Having scored centuries in the Irani Cup and the Challenger Trophy in the lead-up to this Test, the Indian vice-captain settled into a rhythm early and was rewarded for his patience when he reached his 15th test century with a four off speedster Daryl Tuffey. Dravid, surprisingly, scored most of his runs on the off-side and executed his drives with near perfection. His 100 came off 211 balls with the help of 12 fours. A prolific scorer in the last season as well, Dravid seems to have struck the right note at the start of the fresh cricket season and has now 5717 test runs to his credit. Laxman, dropped from the one-day team after India’s tour of New Zealand in December-January, also took a cue from ‘the wall’ and had hit six fours for his unbeaten 56. The Indian innings, which was cruising at 76 for one at lunch, suddenly found itself in disarray when debutant Chopra and Tendulkar returned to the pavilion in quick succession. Reduced to a shaky 134 for three, things did not exactly look bright for the Indians but the ever dependable Dravid combined with Laxman to arrest the slide. It was Chopra who was the first wicket to fall in the post-lunch session. Though it did not turn out to be a very impressive debut for the Delhi opener, Chopra did show some promise during his 42-run knock, weathering the blows and early onslaught of a raw new-ball attack comprising tuffey and Jacob Oram with patience and determination. Chopra’s patience finally gave away when he was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori. A bigger disappointment was in store for Indian fans when Tendulkar, playing his first match since a finger operation after the World Cup, was caught in the slips by Nathan Astle off medium pacer Scott Styris. Though the decision of umpire David Shepherd to adjudge Sehwag leg before wicket off Tuffey was dubious as the ball looked like missing the leg stump, there was no denying that Sehwag found it difficult to curb his natural aggressive skills — he had hit three fours and a six already in his 32-ball innings. Earlier, India went into the first of the two-Test series with two debutants in Chopra and Tamil Nadu paceman L Balaji while the Kiwis included two spinners in Vettori and Paul Wiseman. (PTI) |
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Imran’s statement unfair, says former BCCI chief AHMEDABAD, Oct 8: Former BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur today termed the statement of Imran Khan that Sachin Tendulkar is not a match winning batsman as "totally unfair and unprovoked." Speaking to mediapersons at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium here, Mr Dungarpur said, "I owe this calrification to Indian cricket, its people and myself." Mr Dungarpur, who recently joined the BJP, questioned the former Pakistan captain’s motive in making this statement on the eve of Indian’s new cricket season. Terming Tendulkar as a "crisis management batsman", the former BCCI chief said that "Imran has a deep rooted prejudice against us." Mr Dungarpur added that Tendulkar is the greatest Indian batsman he has seen as the master blaster dominates any bowling attack. (UNI) |
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Maria hops deftly ‘Ova’ Anna’s stumbling block LONDON, Oct 8: From the start the comparisons were inevitable, for like her fellow Russian Anna Kournikova, Maria Sharapova has the world at her feet. She too is blonde, endowed with oodles of glamour and is a precocious talent on the tennis court. Like Kournikova, Sharapova left the land of her birth to seek her fortune in the United States. Like Kournikova, her English is spoken with a strong American Twang. And like Kournikova, Sharapova sets camera shutters rattling like a tree full of cicadas whenever she steps on to a tennis court. But in Tokyo at the weekend 16-year-old Sharapova managed something her better-known compatriot has yet to achieve and won her first WTA title. Victory over Aniko Kapros in the first final of her short career immediately elevated the teenager from marketing man’s dream to a credible player. It was only a small step in the big scheme of things and no guarantee of great things to come. It was, however, a statement of intent and whatever the player dubbed the "Siberian Siren" due to her Nyagan birthplace achieves from now on, nobody will be able to take this precious title from her. "I never really thought about it (winning her first title), but now that I have won I’m thinking about it and saying, ‘yes" said Sharapova with the easy manner she has already shown to charming effect. "I’m happy that I showed I can play good tennis and can actually pull it through in a final." "I think that shows that I’m out here to play tennis. It shows the good side of me, not the looks or anything, the side of a champion." Sharapova has never let the comparisons to Kournikova bother her, often saying they "don’t really matter to me...I try to do my thing." Her father Yuri has been more direct. "they’re both Russian, both blonde and both play tennis. That’s about all they have in common," is his verdict. That is not strictly the case. Both women are as comfortable in the TV studio as on the tennis court and both face the media with disarming candour. Both women take great care over their appearance both on and off court — Sharapova sites fashion as one of her off-court interests as does her 22-year-old forerunner. But while Kournikova is a regular in the finest restaurants and celebrity hang-outs around the world, Sharapova’s culinary interests are more tailored to her teenage years. "Strawberry ice cream, caramel frappucinos and chocolate. I love to eat, and if I could, I’d eat every second of my life," she grins when asked of her guilty secrets. She is only 16, however. Sixteen and on the first step. "I always just try to be myself," she is fond of saying. "I don’t worry about who people think I am. I know I’m Maria, nobody else. I just want to do my own thing. I’m Maria Sharapova and not anyone else." With a title already tucked away for good measure, she wouldn’t want it any other way. (AGENCIES) |
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J&K skaters win 4 medals in North Zone CBSE meet Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 8: A 12-member Jammu and Kashmir Skating team has bagged four medals in the recently held CBSE North Zone Roller Skating Championship at Panipat. All these skaters were trained at Shiva Roller Skating Institute, Peerkho, here under the guidance of Kamal Anand. The medal winners were Mehak (Ragni) Gupta, Milan Pal Singh and Mega Sharma. Mehak, who is a student of MHAC Nagbani, bagged a gold (2000 mts rink race) and bronze (300 mts rink race-II) medal while Milan Pal Singh (300 mts rink race) and Mega Sharma of DPS, Jammu secured a bronze in 300 mts rink race. Among other team members, Aklavya Gupta, Sakshi Yadav and Vikram Gupta got fourth positions. All these six skaters have qualified for the CBSE National Roller Skating Championship to be held at Chandigarh from October 30 to November 2. |
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JKCA Jammu wing selects probables for U-19 Cricket Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 8: Jammu wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has selected 16 probables for forthcoming Cooch Behar under-19 Trophy scheduled to start from October 21. These probables will be leaving for Srinagar, where they will play trial matches against selected probables from Kashmir wing before the final selection of the team. The team will be announced in Srinagar before the first match against Punjab beginning from October 21 to 23 at Jammu. Sixteen cricketers from Jammu were named by selectors, Rohit Malhotra, Ajay Vaid and Surjeet Singh (observer). Selection was made on the basis of trials as well as trial matches involving all the players attending the net. It is for the first time that cricketers from Rajouri, Bhaderwah and Nowshera (one each) have been picked-up by the selectors, said Sudershan Mehta, joint secretary of the JKCA, Jammu wing. Another new entry in the Jammu wing team is left-arm bowler Sohan Lal who hails from a remote village of Samba. The selected players and stand-byes have been asked to report at Hostel Ground, GGM Science College tomorrow at 3 pm alongwith their age eligibility certificates. Selected 16 probables: Sumit Silwal (captain), Vimresh Kaw (vice-captain), Ravi Pandit, Sohan Lal, Umesh Sharma, Muddassar, Vijay Dogra, Sohail Dar, Atul Puri, Mohit Puri, Mayank Goswami, Mahul Choudhary, Amit Baloria, Anil Balgotra, Ian Dev Singh and Wasim Mughal. Stand-byes: Shant Sagar, Zahid, Sourav Chopra and Sachin. |
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Salil Raina is Distt Poonch
TT Champion Excelsior Sports Correspondent POONCH, Oct 8: Salil Raina has lifted the Men’s singles title beating Sandeep Luthra 4-3 in the final of the District Poonch Table Tennis Championship which concluded at Gujjar Hostel, here. After losing two sets 6-11, 7-11, Salil fought back and first equal the score 2-2 and then clinched the final two sets making it a 4-3 win. The score: 6-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6. The Men’s doubles title went to the pair of Salil Bandey and Sandeep Luthra who outplayed Salil Raina and Jagjeet Singh 4-2 (11-5, 11-8, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-8). In the Veteran’s singles, the winners trophy was clinched by Rajinder Singh (DYSSO), who outplayed B S Jaggi 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9. Junior boys singles trophy was bagged by Vimalpreet Singh who had defeated Priyanker Dutta. In Cadet boys final, Gurvinder Singh beat Samandeep Singh. The Sub-junior boys title was retained by Manmeet beating Priyanker Dutta in the final 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10. In Women’s singles final, Narinder Kour had beaten Reetu Bali. Finals were officiated by Riaz Ahmed while Sumant was scorer and Prof Jasvir Singh was chief referee. In the finals and prize distribution function, District Development Commissioner, Poonch, Ajaz Iqbal, who also played in the championship, was chief guest. Speaking on the occasion, he lauded the efforts of the district TT Association for holding the competitions in a systematic manner. Mukesh Singh, SSP Poonch, who was guest of honour and was one of the participant, had all praise for the organisers. He said, " I had not expected such a good standard of game from Poonch people. I was of the impression that I am the best Table Tennis player, but when came the real competition, I was surprised to see the youngsters playing such good games". He further said that there is need for raising sports infrastructure in the district because there is no dearth of talent over there. Prominent among others present on the occasion were M D Bandy, ex-Minister, Nasir Ahmed (DYSSO), A K Ghai, Jatinder Singh (Tehsildar), Ved Charli, PP Luthra (Retd DYSSO), A K Ghai, A S Jeet (president District TT Association). |
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District Billiards
& Snooker Championships Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 8: Defending champion, Nishant Azad and Kuldeep Sharma have once again made it into the final of Junior Billiards in the ongoing Jammu District Billiards and Snooker Championships at Billiards Hall, M A Stadium, here today. In the first semi-final, Nishant outplayed Sumesh Turki 322-259 while Kuldeep had a big win over Rashu Gupta bringing the score to 406-282 in other semi-final encounters of the day. Earlier, in the remaining two quarterfinals, Kuldeep Sharma trounced Almiyat Ahmed 266-126 while Rashu defeated Ishan Sharma 207-129 to reach the semifinals. Meanwhile, the semifinals of Junior Snooker will be held tomorrow at 1 pm simultaenously. The first round of senior Snooker shall start from October 10 at 10 am and the ties will be finalised tomorrow, informed Sheetal Gandotra, organising secretary of the championships. Bright start by Jammu Region in All India KVs sports meet Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 7: Skaters, Judokas and Karatekas representing Jammu Region in the All India Inter-Kendriya Vidyalayas Sports meet at Delhi have made a bright start with Aditya winning two gold in skating on the second day today. Aditya of KV-I won first medal in 100 meters race in boys under-14 category while second medal for Jammu Region was won by him in 200 meters race in the same age group. According to reports reaching here, six Judo players from Jammu Region, representing KV Miran Sahib, have entered into the final. In Karate too there are four players from the region who have made it into the final. Earlier, the competitions were declared open by KPS Gill, president Indian Hockey Federation. In all, 5500 players from 18 regions of the country are taking part in this national meet. Jammu Region contingent is being led by Surekha Mahajan, S K Sharma and Manjeet Singh, who coordinator of all the four events. Dharmic Natak Club organises special show of ‘Ramlila’ Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 8: Dharmic Natak Club organised a special show of ‘Ramlila’ at Janipur Colony, here yesterday. A record number of people witnessed the mega show wherein artists gave best of their performance. Miss Priya Sharma, ‘Miss Jammu 2002’, performed the role of Sita and Vedwati thereby creating history by becoming first ever female artist of the club. The show was jointly sponsored by Ashish Electronics and Pooja Jewellers. |
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