Daily Excelsior.........sports

Saina cruises into semis

NEW DELHI, Nov 9: Saina Nehwal crushed a feeble challenge by Jie Liu of China to storm into the semifinals of world junior badminton championship in Incheon, South Korea......more

Two out of two for
Sharapova in Madrid

MADRID, Nov 9: Maria Sharapova powered to her second win in two days at the WTA championships here defeating Belgium’s Kim Clijsters 6-4, 6-4 in a top-quality encounter. The 19-year-old Russian put herself on the cusp of reaching the semi-finals with a dominant display against an........more

PCB to investigate Akhtar’s
disciplinary short comings

BCCI distances
itself from Kaul

MUMBAI, Nov 9: The Indian Cricket Board today sought to distance itself from retd. Colonel Anil Kaul’s sensational revelation that Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar had slapped coach Bob Woolmer during the Champions Trophy. The BCCI said Kaul was not a liasion officer, but a security officer attached to the Pakistan team......more

Kamal Rohmetra clinches
16th Billiards Trophy

Excelsior Correspondent

Rural Sports Festival
HSS Dori Dagar leads
in Kho-Kho,
Volleyball, Kabaddi

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 9: In the Rural Sports Festival organized by the district youth services and sports Jammu at Dori Dagar, Higher......more

J&K sub-juniors state
team leaves for HP

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 9: Former Union Minister of state for defence and president Jammu and Kashmir Amateur Kabaddi........more

MAM College defeats Sant
College by 184 runs

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 9: MAM College defeated Sant Rocha Singh Degree College by 184 runs in inter collegiate cricket match here today. MAM college won the toss and decided to bat first. In 39.2 overs MAM college seta....more

Two out of two for Sharapova in Madrid

MADRID, Nov 9: Maria Sharapova powered to her second win in two days at the WTA championships here defeating Belgium’s Kim Clijsters 6-4, 6-4 in a top-quality encounter.

The 19-year-old Russian put herself on the cusp of reaching the semi-finals with a dominant display against an opponent who had clawed her way back to top form after an injury-ravaged summer.

Sharapova pocketed the first set 6-4 but had to withstand a determined fightback by clijsters in the second.

The us Open champion had to stave off break points in the second and fourth games, but did so mainly thanks to her big serve, one of the most powerful in the women’s game.

She then struck in the fifth game to get a vital break of serve and moved out to 5-2 ahead before clijsters staged one brave last stand.

The Belgian broke Sharapova’s serve for the first time in the eighth game and then held her own to get to 5-4.

She then had two break points to level the set, but once again Sharapova produced her best tennis and she ran out a confident winner in 1hour 29 minutes.

Earlier Svetlana Kuznetsova showed Sharapova she was not the only on-form Russian in town with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Elena Dementieva in the same red group.

Number four Kuznetsova had to fight hard in the opening set as her rival, already beaten in straight sets by Sharapova on Tuesday, rebounded after losing the first two games but succumbed in 1hr 50min to a service winner.

It was Dementieva’s eighth straight loss at the year-ending event after she lost all her group matches in her two previous appearances. After a titanic opening saw the pair split the first six games Dementieva hit a forehand long to drop serve in the eighth game but Kuznetsova produced a double fault when serving for the set.

However, the french open finalist Kuznetsova finally threw off her inconsistent spell as she held and then broke to take the set 7-5 at the third time of asking after a 70min struggle.

Buoyed by getting her nose in front the 21-year-old from Saint Petersburg raced into early command in the second set making it five games on the trot as she motored 3-0 and then 4-1 clear with an ace.

But Dementieva dug her heels in and held only to be bamboozled by a superlative backhand and then two of her own mistakes as Kuznetsova moved to the brink of victory.

Dementieva saved a match point with a beefy forehand winner but Kuznetsova was not to be denied second time around.

In the final game of the evening, Switzerland’s Martina Hingis beat Russian Nadia Petrova 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 which means France’s Amelie Mauresmo is certain to lose her world number one status after 34 weeks in pole position.

Hingis is playing the end-of-year event for the eighth time but first since leaving the tour in 2002 with foot and ankle injuries.

The top two in each group will go forward to the semis in a competition which contains four former winners for the first time since 1992.(AFP)

PCB to investigate Akhtar’s disciplinary short comings

KARACHI, Nov 9 : There is more trouble in store for banned speedster Shoaib Akhtar with the Pakistan Cricket Board today saying it would seriously investigate his disciplinary shortcomings during the champions trophy in India. The PCB, while denying allegations that Akhtar had slapped coach Bob Woolmer while in a team bus, admitted there were a few disciplinary incidents involving the fast bowler.

"He (Akhtar) has been involved in some disciplinary issues. He has had late nights out and brought unauthorized guests to his room," a PCB official said.

"We have also got reports he used strong words with Woolmer once but certainly the episode about him slapping the coach is not true."

Anil Kaul, a retired Indian army colonel who was the Pakistan team’s security officer in the tournament in India, claimed yesterday that Akhtar slapped Woolmer, misbehaved with a girl at a discotheque and banged on Indian coach Greg Chappell’s hotel door.

Kaul made these allegations on Indian channels and claimed the incidents had taken place in Jaipur ahead of the team’s first match on October 17.

Akhtar has been banned for two years following a positive drug test in the lead up to the Champions trophy.

Officially, however, the PCB maintained an angry denial mode on Kaul’s allegations.

"Kaul has broken all norms of decency with his frivolous allegations. He is obviously seeking cheap publicity because we have confirmed from our manager and coach that no such incident took place," PCB director of cricket operations Saleem Altaf told PTI.

"The allegations are preposterous and rubbish. We are going to ask the ICC to bar this man from ever holding any position in cricket ever again", Altaf said.

"He has violated the code of conduct for officials attached with teams in series and tournaments."

He said the protest letter would be sent to the icc on Friday as it was a public holiday in Pakistan today. "We will also submit a copy to the Indian board and ask them to take disciplinary action against Kaul," he said. (PTI)

BCCI distances itself from Kaul

The BCCI said Kaul was not a liasion officer, but a security officer attached to the Pakistan team appointed by the International Cricket Council.

"As the host tournament director, I wish to clarify that BCCI did not appoint Anil Kaul as the liaison officer of the Pakistan team as is being reported," Ratnakar Shetty, also BCCI’s administrative head, said in a release.

"Kaul was appointed as the close protection officer of the Pakistan team by Bob Nichols the security consultant engaged by the International Cricket Council."

Kaul had told news channels yesterday that Akhtar slapped his coach Woolmer after an argument over what music to play in the team bus during the team’s stay in Jaipur.

He also said the controversial speedster misbehaved with a woman at a discotheque and created a ruckus in the team hotel, banging the door of Indian coach Greg Chappell who was also staying in the same hotel.

Both Akhtar and Woolmer denied Kaul’s claims, although the Pakistan coach admitted that there was a disciplinary problem with Akthar that evening. (PTI)

Kamal Rohmetra clinches 16th Billiards Trophy

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 9: In the final match of 16th Jammu district open Billiards and Snookers championship 2006, played here this after noon at M A Stadium, Kamal Rohmetra has clinched the title in senior category by defeating Jaideep Manocha by 465-435. It's for the 9th consecutive year that Kanal Rohmetra has won Jammu District Billiards Championship.

The championship was organized by Jammu and Kashmir Billiards and Snookers Association under the ages of Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council.

The match was followed by prize distribution ceremony. Speaking on the occasion chief guest Ravinder Gupta, secretary Jammu and Kashmir State

Sports Council, applauded the performance of both players.

Pointing towards performance of the Jaideep Manocha during the final match, Ravinder Gupta asked him to learn from the champion, Kamal Rohmetra.

Speaking on the occasion chief guest exhorted the youngsters to follow the footsteps of champion’s.

While concluding his address, he expressed his desire that the game of snooker should not only remain confined to Jammu district but should also reach other districts of the state with in next couple of years.

He called for healthy planning to boost the game in the state.

Earlier, Sidharth Sharma joint secretary Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council, presented a bouquet to welcome chief guest. On behalf of Jammu and Kashmir Billiards and Snookers Association, Sidharth Sharma also presented a trophy to chief guest Ravinder Gupta as a token of remembrance.

Others who were present on the occasion include Sunita Goel, Kuldeep Sharma SO Sports Council and others.

Rural Sports Festival
HSS Dori Dagar leads in Kho-Kho, Volleyball, Kabaddi

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 9: In the Rural Sports Festival organized by the district youth services and sports Jammu at Dori Dagar, Higher Secondary School Dori Dagar has defeated Middle School Panya in Kho-Kho in girls category while Nathal School defeated Dori Daggar in Tug-of-war girls category.

In volleyball ( boys), Higher Secondary School Dori Dagar defeated local club of Dori Dagar. Higher Secondary School Dori Dagar defeated Middle School Panya in boys Kabaddi category.

In athletics 100 meters girls, Vaishno Devi of Dori Dagar, Asha of Middle School Panya and Reeta of Dori Dogar bagged first, second and third positions respectively.

In wrestling (boys) Kuldeep Raj of Dori and Pankaj of Dhanna defeated their opponents in 60 KG and 52 KG respectively.

It will be pertinent to mention here that Rural Sports Festival for Boys and Girls for the year 2006-07 held at Dori Degar was organized by Department of Youth Services and Sports under the banner of Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council Jammu.

J&K sub-juniors state team leaves for HP

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 9: Former Union Minister of state for defence and president Jammu and Kashmir Amateur Kabaddi Association, Professor Chaman Lal Gupta, today distributed sports kits among the players going to participate in said national at Bilaspur Himachal Pradesh.

General secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Amateur Kabaddi Association Kuldeep Kumar Gupta said that Jammu and Kashmir Sub-Junior State teams of boys and leave for HP after concluding the coaching camp under coaches Jasdev Singh (National Medalist) and Sanjeev Kumar at International Flood Light Kabaddi Stadium Jammu.

The state teams in both boys and girls sections will be sponsored by Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council.

Those selected in the girld section include, Sarita Saini, Kavita Saini, Priya Chib, Sonia chib, Seema Manhas, Raj Begum, Nazia Begum, Jyoti, Deepanshu Sharma and Pooja Jagotra.

In boys section players include Romesh Kumar, Harinder Kumar, Ashwani Kumar, Mohan Singh, Ram Kumar Yaqub Kahn, Tejinder Kumar, Sunny Uraon, Parvinder Singh, Mohd Saleem, Abhishek Malhotra and Pankaj Sharma.

MAM College defeats Sant College by 184 runs

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 9: MAM College defeated Sant Rocha Singh Degree College by 184 runs in inter collegiate cricket match here today.

MAM college won the toss and decided to bat first.

In 39.2 overs MAM college seta target of 278 runs. Ankit Bakshi, Jarnail Singh and Navdeep scored 75, 50 and 52 runs respectively for MAM college.

While chasing the target of 278 runs, Sant Rocha Singh Degree college team was all out at 94 runs in just 27 overs.

Meanwhile, Government Degree College Kathua marked 118 run victory over Government Degree College Samba, Batting first GDC Kathua set a target of 182 runs in 30 overs at the loss of 9 wickets.

Chasing the target of 182 runs, GDC Samba was all out at 64 runs in just 16.5 overs.For Degree College Kathua Simranjeet Singh took 5 wickets by giving just 17 runs.

The nest match of the tournament will be played between Degree College Kishtwar and Degree College Rajouri on November 10. The match will start at 9 AM.