Lara not fascinated
by Twenty20

DUBAI, July 21: West Indies skipper Brian Lara says he is not fascinated by the Twenty20 version of cricket because it does not test the ability of a player but agrees the new format has spectator value. "Test cricket is my game. It is a game I really love to ..........more

Indian lifters banned
for one year

NEW DELHI, July 21: Indian lifters have been thrown out of the Asian Games and their Beijing Olympics prospects also hang in balance with the International Weightlifting Federation slapping a one-year ban and a 50,000 dollar fine after four of them flunked dope test ........more

Italy’s press slams
Materazzi ban

ROME, July 21: FIFA’s decision to hand Marco Materazzi a two-match suspension for insulting Zinedine Zidane in the World Cup final drew fierce criticism from the Italian press today......more

‘Captain Cool’ resigns as
Deputy Minister of Tourism

COLOMBO, July 21: Sri Lanka’s only cricket world cup winning captain, Arjuna Ranatunga, today resigned as the Deputy Minister of Tourism, reportedly clearing the way to enter the administration of the Sri Lanka Cricket, officials .....more

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 Sports Council employees
go on indefinite strike

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, July 21: The coaching and assisting staff working at Indoor Complex and M A Stadium today suddenly went on indefinite strike to protest the denial ...more

Jammu enters semifinals
of inter-district U-14 cricket

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, July 21: Jammu district today entered into the semi-finals beating Anantnag by nine runs in first quarterfinal of the inter-district under-14 cricket tournament being organized by Department of Youth Services and Sports ......more

Provincial PG Forum
of DYSS constituted

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, July 21: All Jammu and Kashmir Youth Services and Sports Field Staff Association has constituted its Provincial .........more

Indian Golf Tour
from July 25

NEW DELHI, July 21: The Royal Challenge Indian Golf Tour featuring eight events will kick off with the Northern India Amateur meet at the Classic Golf Resort here from July 25. The three-day event will be followed by the Golden .........more
 

Lara not fascinated by Twenty20

DUBAI, July 21: West Indies skipper Brian Lara says he is not fascinated by the Twenty20 version of cricket because it does not test the ability of a player but agrees the new format has spectator value.

"Test cricket is my game. It is a game I really love to play. Before being asked to captain the team for the third time, I tried to guide my career in the direction of playing more Test cricket and less one-day games," Lara, the leading scorer in Tests, said.

"I don’t think it (Twenty20) tests the ability of players like Tests do. But it is good for the crowd. You are playing a sport, and sport is all about spectators," Lara was quoted as saying by the ‘Khaleej Times’.

Lara, who is in Dubai to appear on the Chevrolet Cricket Show while the Stanford Twenty20 Tournament is underway in West Indies, also said "it is necessary to produce results in Tests to keep interest in the game alive".

On the burn-out issue, he said it might be true for big cricketing nations but he had no problem with WICB’s itinerary.

"It may be true in the case of big cricketing nations. They are playing between themselves more often. A lot of factors are involved in it, like crowd, big money, television rights. I am fine with the sort of itinerary and fixtures we have," he said.

The 37-year-old Lara said he had plans to play till the next England tour but would definitely step down if he became a liability to the team.

"There are some cricketers who played well even after 40s. If I become a liability to the team, I will definitely step away...," he said.

"Our immediate priority is to defend the Champions Trophy in October," he added.

About Dwayne Bravo not being given a retainer contract, Lara said, "He is a key player...One of the best all-rounders in the team. I am sure the issue of contracts will be sorted out very soon."

Lara also said he planned to tell his story through a book, which would be launched during next years’s World Cup in the Caribbean.

"I am writing a book about my life and am trying to release it during the coming World Cup," Lara told ‘Gulf News’.

"Nowadays I spend a lot of time on writing. I am in the process of writing this book, which will tell my story. I have spoken to a literary agent," he added. (PTI)

Indian lifters banned for one year

NEW DELHI, July 21: Indian lifters have been thrown out of the Asian Games and their Beijing Olympics prospects also hang in balance with the International Weightlifting Federation slapping a one-year ban and a 50,000 dollar fine after four of them flunked dope test before and during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games earlier this year.

The ban continues till March 2007 and if the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) fails to pay the fine, it would be stretched by another year, which would put a big question mark on the lifters’ participation in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 because India would miss the qualifiers.

The International Weightlifting Federation banned and fined IWF after B Prameelavalli and Shailaja Pujari were caught positive by a W

ADA team in NIS Patiala, while Tejinder Singh and Edwin Raju flunked the test in Melbourne.

Talking to UNI here today, IWF President HJ Dora revealed about the second ban on IWF in two year.

The federation was banned earlier after women lifters Pratima Kumari and Sanamacha Chanu failed the dope test during 2004 Athens Olympics.

‘‘We have been banned for one year and fined 50,000 dollar. In fact the initial fine was one lakh dollar but we pleaded to lessen it and they reduced it to half,’’ Mr Dora said.

‘‘However, the ban excludes domestic tournaments, which would go on as scheduled,’’ he added.

The hefty fine also jeopardises the Indian lifters’ participation in the Beijing Olympics and Mr Dora said IWF had not decided yet about paying the fine.

‘‘We have not decided yet. I would have to discuss the matter with my colleagues in the federation and also with the Indian Olympics Association before we arrive at any decision,’’ he said. (UNI)

 

Italy’s press slams Materazzi ban

ROME, July 21: FIFA’s decision to hand Marco Materazzi a two-match suspension for insulting Zinedine Zidane in the World Cup final drew fierce criticism from the Italian press today.

Italy defender Materazzi was banned and fined 3,100 euros yesterday by a disciplinary committee of world football’s governing body.

But Italy’s newspapers were outraged by the punishment, with La Stampa describing it as a "scandalous sentence."

Leading sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport’s headline read "Zidane-Materazzi 3-2, Italy is angry" and said it was "too low a punishment for Zizou."

Gazzetta continued: "Players, bosses, politicians and many fans were all furious with the sentence."

Materazzi had admitted abusing Zidane during extra-time in the final in an incident which caused the France captain’s dismissal after he reacted by head-butting the Inter Milan star.

Zidane, who was given a three-match ban and fined 4,700 euros by FIFA, later claimed in a television interview that Materazzi had insulted his mother and sister, while lip-readers employed by several newspapers said the Italian had called his rival a "terrorist."

But Republica said "There is no law that can justify putting the provocation and the reaction on the same level. In the Zidane-Materazzi case this reaction could have caused a death by giving the victim heart failure."

Gazzetta’s leader editorial claimed it was an "injustice", while Corriere dello Sport said it gave a "reward to violence."

Italian Football Federation chief Guido Rossi said: "The definitive verdict of the FIFA disciplinary committee will be respected by us.

"But the episode will remain consigned to the television images and to the public opinion of the entire world."

Inter Milan president Giacinto Facchetti believes his player was harshly treated and told the club’s website: "While the respect and the consideration I have for FIFA remains and always will remain, I wish to underline the disproportion for the penalty inflicted on Materazzi and the one inflicted on the French player or between the player who provoked a reaction and the one who reacted."

Materazzi will miss Italy’s Euro 2008 qualifying matches against Lithuania on September 2 and a World Cup final rematch against France on September 6. (AFP)

‘Captain Cool’ resigns as Deputy Minister of Tourism

COLOMBO, July 21: Sri Lanka’s only cricket world cup winning captain, Arjuna Ranatunga, today resigned as the Deputy Minister of Tourism, reportedly clearing the way to enter the administration of the Sri Lanka Cricket, officials here said.

The resignation by the Colombo district parliamentarian of the ruling party, Arjuna Ranatunga, well-known as ‘Captain Cool’ comes a few days after he led a team of 11 ex-test cricketers to meet President Mainda Rajapakse to brief him on the current state of administration of the Sri Lanka Cricket and its implications on the national cricket team, which is considered one of the main contenders of the 2007 world cup. (UNI)

Sports Council employees go on indefinite strike

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, July 21: The coaching and assisting staff working at Indoor Complex and M A Stadium today suddenly went on indefinite strike to protest the denial of pensionary benefits to employees of the autonomous sports body of Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council.

Soon after the trainees in different games started pouring in at the MA Stadium Complex, they found the main gates of indoor complex and other entry points locked. On being told that employees have went on indefinite strike, the trainees along with their wards returned home.

The protesting employees later gathered at the park alleging that the Government has turned down the proposal of pension to the State Sports Council employees whereas at the same time other autonomous bodies of IMPA (Institute of Management and Public Administration) and SKICC (Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre) have been cleared for pensionary benefits.

Protestants were also joined by the Sports Officer (Jammu), Krishan Sharma and managers of Indoor Complex, Swimming Pool and M A Stadium.

Meanwhile, employees at Srinagar also went on indefinite strike on the statewide call given by the All J&K State Sports Council Employees Association.

According to the reports reaching here, the further course of action will be decided after a meeting of the representatives of employees association with Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education, Ashok Angurana at Srinagar on Monday.

Jammu enters semifinals of inter-district U-14 cricket

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, July 21: Jammu district today entered into the semi-finals beating Anantnag by nine runs in first quarterfinal of the inter-district under-14 cricket tournament being organized by Department of Youth Services and Sports at Pulwama.

It was excellent spell of spinners Arun and Farooq, which demolished the whole Anantnag batting. Both together clinched eight wickets.

Earlier, batting first after winning the toss, Jammu boys bowled out for a small total of 94 in 18.2 overs of the 20 overs match. Siddharth Magotra was top scorer with 21 runs while Sidhant Sharma and Armani Sharma contributed 11 and 10 runs respectively. From Anantnag, Majid and Aquib shared three wickets each while Salman bagged two.

Later, chasing a target of below five-run per over, Anantnag made a good start with Aquib playing excellent innings. But fine spells by left arm spinner, Arun, who took five for 15 in four overs and Farooq (three for 12 in four overs) halted Anantnag innings nine runs short of Jammu total at 85 in 14.2 overs.

Aquib made good efforts with 40 runs studded with five boundaries while Amit Sheikh and Vaid added 10 and eight runs respectively.

Meanwhile, districts of Srinagar, Doda, Poonch, Pulwama and Baramulla have reached the quarterfinals stage.

Provincial PG Forum of DYSS constituted

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, July 21: All Jammu and Kashmir Youth Services and Sports Field Staff Association has constituted its Provincial PG Forum with Prithvi Raj as its president and

Rajesh Dhar, general secretary.

Members present in the meeting also unanimously named Imran Tassaduk Malik vice-president and Sunil Kumar as treasurer. As also Chandra Shekhra was made joint secretary and Surinder Singh organizer of the Forum, a handout issued here said.

Executive committee of the PG Forum was also nominated with Jaffer Hussain, Fahien Farooq (Doda), Lalit Sharma, Chain Singh (Kathua), Meenakshi Sharma, Harjeet Kour (Jammu), Gurvinder Singh (Poonch), Ajay, Sanjeev Sharma (Rajouri), Rajinder Kumar and Sanjay Kumar (Udhampur).

Soon after framing the PG Forum, members, who met under the chairmanship of president of the Association, Shivnandan, stressed upon the Government for speedy implementation of the recently approved pragmatic and historic decision of the Joint Clearance Committee (JCC) of the Government without any delay.

The Association reiterated its stand for the resolution of the pending demands in the next phase including creation of Zonal Sports Officers, restoration of selection grade to the CPEd teachers, introduction of physical education as a compulsory subject and release of SRO regarding the removal of pay anomalies.

Among others who addressed the meeting were Jarpal Singh (vice-president), Romesh Jasrotia (publicity secretary), Surinder Singh, Amarjeet, Sanjay Raina and Dr S S Chib.

Indian Golf Tour from July 25

NEW DELHI, July 21: The Royal Challenge Indian Golf Tour featuring eight events will kick off with the Northern India Amateur meet at the Classic Golf Resort here from July 25.

The three-day event will be followed by the Golden Greens Open Amateur meet from August 8 to 11.

The action will then shift to Chandigarh for the Samarvir Sahi Amateur in November. Kolkata will host the Eastern India Amateur and the RCGC Cup in December, Indian Golf Union informed at a press conference yesterday.

The western leg will have two tournaments in January — the Western India Amateur in Mumbai and the Pune Amateur — before the tour culminates with the All India Amateur golf championship at the KGA in February. (PTI)

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