Darkest Day in Pakistan Hockey

Karachi: Pakistan s former hockey Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh said that Pakistan s exclusion from the World Cup on Friday, after the green-shirts lost to Korea 2-1 in Asia Cup semifinals in Malaysia, is the  Darkest Day  in Pakistan hockey history.

The green-shirts needed a title triumph in Asia Cup to salvage Pakistan s glorious past and secure a place in the World Cup. But a 2-1 defeat from Korea in semifinals, has dashed all hopes for Pakistan of reaching the World Cup. The World Cup 2014 edition will miss the green-shirts for the first time since its inception in 1971.

It is the  Darkest Day  in the history of Pakistan hockey. We have been the pioneer of the most important spectacle of hockey, where we reached the finals for six times and clinched it four times. It is very depressing for me to think of Pakistan not being the part of next year s World Cup,  Shahnaz Sheikh lamented.

Shahnaz said that the semifinal match against Korea exposed our team s poor planning and management.

Pakistan was favorite in the match because Korea has not been at its best. Korea started defensive but our team never took advantage of it as there were no proper planning and management,  Shahnaz said.

He further said that Pakistan had the possession of the ball of around 57 percent and yet they failed because the team played under pressure and they were not properly led.

Pakistan wasted their energy early in the match and Korean side exhausted our team. The management should have directed our players properly so that they could have put a proper show throughout the match,  he said.

Shahnaz recalled that the former Olympians raised a hue and cry after Pakistan ended at the bottom-rock 12th place in the 12-nation World Cup in 2010 but no one listened to them.

When we protested against the team s lowly performance in 2010, no one listened to us. And now, after three years, team s performance has fallen instead of improving, so it must be concluded that we had been right in our demands then,  Shahnaz said.

If we had been listened after 2010 World Cup debacle, then the whole nation didn t have to face this day,  he said.

via http://pakistan.onepakistan.com.pk

Asia Cup Hockey: Rupinderpal Singh, VR Raghunath score hat-tricks as India beat Bangladesh 9-1

Ipoh, Malaysia:  Penalty corner exponents Rupinderpal Singh and VR Raghunath slammed a hat-trick each as India mauled Bangladesh 9-1 to maintain their unbeaten run ahead of the semifinals in the ninth Asia Cup hockey tournament in Ipoh on Wednesday.

The Indians, who were through to the semifinals even before the match, led 5-1 at the half-time and pumped in four more goals in the second session to stamp their authority over their lowly opponents.

Rupinderpal (4th, 19th, 27th, 61st minutes) scored four goals in the match, out of which three came via penalty corners, while Raghunath (29th, 52nd, 59th) converted short corners to emerge as the joint top-scorer of the tournament with Jang Jong Hyun of South Korea on six goals apiece.

Nikkin Thimmaiah (25th) and Mandeep Singh (47th) were the other goal-getters for India.

Bangladesh's lone goal came from the stick of their skipper Md Mamunur Rahman Chayan (35th minute).

By virtue of this win, the Indians finished on top of Pool B with nine points from three games. Defending champions South Korea are second in this pool with six points.

India will now face Pool A runners-up and hosts Malaysia in the second semifinal on Friday, while South Korea will be up against Pool A toppers Pakistan.

The match between India and Bangladesh started nearly 40 minutes late as the first game of the day between Korea and Oman was delayed due to heavy downpour in the evening.

Playing under persistent drizzle and damp conditions, the Indians meant business from the beginning. Such was their dominance that they earned as many as 10 penalty corners in the match, out of which they utilised six.

The Indians were under no pressure as they played free-flowing hockey to put the Bangladeshi defence under constant pressure.

For the sparse crowd present at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium, there was excitement from the very beginning as it rained goals in the match.

via http://tinyurl.com/o4599vm

Yuvi and Zaheer Khan back to the Indian team

NEW DELHI: A fitter and slimmer Yuvraj Singh is back from his six-week long fitness camp, along with Zaheer Khan, in Brive la Gaillarde in France and is raring for a crack at Team India again. He is deriving his confidence from skipper MS Dhoni's recent remark that his team was reserved not only for youngsters.

"Dhoni must have thought about the 2015 World Cup. I am happy that youngsters are doing well but a right balance, with seniors too, is needed. The most important thing is to have the best team for the country," said Yuvraj, on his first public appearance since returning from France.

The mainstay of the Indian middle order in the limited-overs format till very recently doesn't mind talking about his past record. "While one's past records should not be the criterion for selection, you can't forget the contribution made by them either," Yuvraj said at a promotional event here on Friday.

There has been extra emphasis on agility and fitness in Dhoni's scheme of things. And the veteran of 282 ODIs is well aware of that. "I have never doubted my ability and won't doubt it ever. The focus is to look sharp and agile in the field. My priority has always been to play for my country," he stated.

Both, he and Zaheer, decided to undertake a different regimen over the one available at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore mainly to avoid people speculating about them. "I had trained hard at the NCA after I recovered from cancer but I just wanted to get away because of frequent distractions. Here, something is invariably cropping up every day about what I am doing. I also wanted to train in higher altitudes and play different sports, eat a different kind of food and have time to discuss my game with my father (former Test cricketer Yograj Singh). In France, I could stay focused on what I was doing."

Coming out of that regime, he definitely looked more refreshed and fitter. But what about Zaheer? "Zaheer has been extremely disciplined and he worked as hard as I did. He has lost nearly six kilograms and looks in great shape. We started playing for India together and we gel really well. Working in tandem has helped each other. He has really pushed himself and am sure he will make a comeback soon," Yuvraj said.

Yuvraj is itching to get back to the pitch but hasn't got to play any of the pre-season domestic tournaments like the Buchi Babu. "I could only play Buchi Babu or Moin-ud Dowla if my state team is playing in the tournament," he clarified.

Asked about a recent photograph which showed him along with Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun, Yuvraj recalled, "Some time back (Sachin) Tendulkar told me that his son bats like me. When I watched Arjun, he did remind me of my younger days in Chandigarh."

Source: http://tinyurl.com/m8wt3mk

India crush Oman 8-0 in Asia Cup hockey opener

India blanked minnows Oman 8-0 to start their 9th Asia Cup Hockey Championship campaign on a perfect note at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh on Saturday.

The Indian team indulged in a 'goalfest' as they scored four apiece on either side of the break.

For the winners, Mandeep Singh (4th minute, 40th) and debutant forward Ramandeep Singh (17th, 44th) struck twice, while, V R Raghunath (28th), Rupinderpal Singh (34th), Malak Singh (47th) and SK Uthappa (69th) sounded the board once.

Knowing fully well that winning the Asia Cup would guarantee a place in next year's World Cup at The Hague, Netherlands, the Indians meant business from the onset and concentrated mainly on building formations.

The Indians were expected to control the proceedings against Oman and they did exactly that as the play was mostly centred around the Oman half.

After starting on a rather casual note, the Indians soon tightened up their grip over Oman and mounted continuous raids.

In the opening half, majority of India's build ups came from the right flank with Ramandeep Singh and Malak Singh combining well.

But penalty corner conversion still seems to be a worry for India as they utilised just two out of the six that came their way in the entire duration of 70 minutes.

The Indians earned their first penalty corner as early as in the third minute but Rupinderpal's flick was saved by Oman goalkeeper Al Noufali Fahad Khamis Salmeen. But an opportunistic Mandeep scored from the resultant rebound to give India a 1-0 lead.

India doubled their lead in the 17th minute through an unmarked Ramandeep who scored after receiving a Malak assist from the right flank.

India earned a penalty in the 28th minute when Nithin Thimmaiah was brought down inside the Oman circle and V R Raghunath made no mistake from the spot to make the scoreline 3-0 in favour of the Indians.

India could have scored another in the next minute but Rupinder's reverse hit from inside the 'D' was saved by the Oman custodian.

Just a minute from the breather, India increased their lead through Rupinder who converted the team's fifth penalty corner with a high flick that crashed on to the top right of the Oman goal.

It was no different after the change of ends as India continued their domination over Oman.

It took India just five minutes into the second half to find the back of the net, Mandeep scored his second goal of the day with a perfect reverse flick after being fed by a cross from Chinglensana Singh.

Mandeep was again at the thick of things as four minutes later he scored histhird goal of the day after receiving a pass from Ramandeep.

Three minutes later, it was Malak’s turn to register his name in the score-sheet after Dharamvir intial shot was saved by the Oman goalkeeper.

A diving Uthappa rounded off the tally a minute from the hooter by tapping home Malak's cross from the right flank.

After a rest day tomorrow, India will play title holders Korea in the second Pool B match on August 26.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/m9c6nxx

'Main Houn Shahid Afridi' hits cinemas despite cricketer's objections

KARACHI: Pakistani film about a boy emulating the fairytale career of cricket star Shahid Afridi hit cinemas Friday despite objections from the player over "obscene" scenes he fears could damage his image.

The $1 million Pakistan-made movie "Main Houn Shahid Afridi" ("I am Shahid Afridi") tells the story of a young man who dreams of becoming as great a player as Afridi, and the trials he faces as he tries to follow in his hero's footsteps.

The big-hitting all-rounder had given his blessing to the producers, but last week reacted angrily to an "obscene" scene shown in trailers for the film in which the hero hugs and kisses a girl in a nightclub.

He also raised objections to an "item song", a musical performance featuring Pakistani actress Mathira Khan. Dance numbers such as this with scantily clad women are often used in Indian cinema and have little to do with the story.

"I had given permission for the film with an aim to give kids some positive healthy entertainment, to divert their minds towards cricket and it should not have obscene things," said Afridi, 33.

But the filmmakers went ahead with the release without removing the scenes.

"The item song was the demand and if Afridi had any objections, it's his mindset," Mathira told reporters at a private premier of the film Wednesday night.

Cinema-goers had mixed reaction to the movie.

"I don't see any obscenity in the film," said 27-year-old shopkeeper Liaqat Khan. "If we can watch Indian movies in our cinemas which are full of objectionable scenes, why can't we watch this film."

But middle-aged housewife Samina Ali said she was embarrassed after waching the movie.

"I came here on the insistence of my kids who are die-hard fans of Afridi, but this film cannot be watched with kids," she said.

Afridi, who hails from Pakistan's deeply conservative tribal district of Khyber on the Afghan border, has so far played 27 Tests, 354 one-days and 59 Twenty20 matches for Pakistan.

He became an instant hero when he hit a 37-ball century in only his second one-day against Sri Lanka in 1996 -- still a world record.

Afridi also holds the record for hitting the most sixes in one-day international cricket, with 308 in 354 matches.

Pakistan's film industry has been on the skids for years, unable to compete with India's Bollywood.

But filmmakers are hoping the phenomenal popularity of one of the country's best-loved cricketers will translate into takings at the box office. (AFP)

Source: http://tinyurl.com/llxj6kh

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso lapped fastest and makes a comeback

(Reuters) - Ferrari's Fernando Alonso lapped fastest in a weather-affected Belgian Grand Prix first practice session on Friday as Formula One drivers shrugged off the long August break and got back up to speed.

The Spaniard, third in the championship after 10 of 19 races, lapped the longest circuit on the calendar with a best time of one minute 55.198 seconds in a familiar Spa mixture of wet and dry conditions.

The two Force Indias of Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil were second and third on the timesheets, with the top three all setting their comparatively slow times in the final half hour of an incident-free session.

Morning rain, and occasional drizzle interspersed with cloud and sunshine, dampened part of the fast and flowing Ardennes forest circuit while a dry line emerged through the middle sector.

The McLarens of Briton Jenson Button and Mexican Sergio Perez showed encouraging signs of progress, despite the team backing away from earlier assertions that they could challenge for a victory this weekend.

Perez was fourth fastest while Button, last year's winner from pole, ended up 14th.

Red Bull's championship leader Sebastian Vettel, who has a 38 point lead over Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen, was sixth fastest behind fellow-German Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes.

Vettel, who returned from the break with his hair dyed bright blond, had the odd spin on the slippery surface without drama.

Raikkonen, who cried off sick on from media engagements on Thursday after weeks of speculation about his future and talk of moves to Red Bull or Ferrari, and Lotus team mate Romain Grosjean propped up the timesheets.

Finland's Heikki Kovalainen, dropped by Caterham at the end of last year, made an appearance for the team in place of regular race driver Charles Pic and was 16th quickest.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by John O'Brien)

Source: http://tinyurl.com/moneq3o

Yuvraj Singh determined to make comeback

NEW DELHI: Out of favour Yuvraj Singh, hero of the 2011 World Cup, said on Friday he will be doing every thing possible in his capacity to regain his place in the Indian team.

Yuvraj said he was happy with the way the young Indian team had fared, winning the Champions Trophy and the ODI series in Zimbabwe, but felt it is the mix of young and experience that makes a team great.

"I am very happy with the way the youngsters have been performing. But it is the balance of seniors and youngsters that makes a team strong. For me, the most important thing is to play for the country and I will do every thing possible to play for the country again," said Yuvraj during a media interaction.

The southpaw said he was not looking at the 2015 World Cup and his immediate goal was to get back in the team.

"The 2015 World Cup is very far. My immediate goal is to come back in the team. For that I have to play as much cricket as I can before the Challengers," he said.

Yuvraj, along with Zaheer Khan, had spent six weeks training in France to get back in shape. Yuvraj feels that training away from India and away from the constant media scrutiny helped him.

Yuvraj and Zaheer underwent intense fitness training at Brive La Gaillarde, a market town south of the centre of France. They trained under coach Tim Exeter, a high performance physical trainer well known in Europe's rugby and soccer fields.

"After recovering from cancer, I trained at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for a while. But I wanted to train away from India because there are a lot of distractions here. Just staying away from you (media) was of great help," said Yuvraj.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/m3r97zz

Sania Mirza reaches 25th doubles final of her career

Indian tennis ace touched another milestone in her career by reaching 25th doubles final along with new partner Jie Zheng at the WTA New Haven Open, here.

Sania and Jie, seeded third, got the better of Spanish team of Silvia Soler-Espinosa and Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3 6-3 in the semifinals of the USD 690,000 hard court event, the last tournament before the US Open.

Now they await winner of the other semifinal between the pairs of fourth seeds Liezel Huber/Nuria Llagostera Vives and Anabel Medina Garrigues/ Katrina Srebotnik.

It is Sania's fourth final of the year and 25th overall, and she emerged victorious in 16 of them.

Sania, the only Indian female to win Grand Slam title, has won two titles so far this season. Both the titles came with American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who now plays only singles.

Jheng is Sania's fourth partner of the season, having played alongside Liezel Huber, Mattek-Sands, and Flavia Penneta.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/jvn6e38

Deepika Kumari, Priyank make quarterfinal exits in Archery World Cup

Kolkata:  India's hope for a medal in the individual section went up in smoke as Deepika Kumari and Priyank made quarterfinal exits in the Archery World Cup Stage 4 at Wroclaw, Poland on Thursday.

According to information received here, rookie Priyank had a dream run before being overpowered by Korean heavyweight Jae Wang Jin by 4-6 margin in the recurve men's individual event.


Both archers were locked 4-4 before the Korean wrapped the issue winning the decider by 29-26 margin to enter semis.

Priyank, who had qualified as 21st seed, had earlier stunned fifth seed Thomas Aubert of France in the pre-quarters.

India's best medal hope Deepika on the other hand succumbed meekly to Korean top seed Ok Hee Yun 2-6 to bow out of the recurve women's individual event.

Ok-Hee, who won a team gold and an individual bronze at the Beijing Olympics, took a commanding 4-0 lead before Deepika came back in the third end to make it 4-2.

The Asian Games triple gold medallist however denied Deepika's fresh attempt to come back by winning the fourth end 29-28 to settle the issue 6-2.

India's hope for a medal will now be in the team events that get underway tomorrow.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/l3c9fko

Indians bag four medals, including a gold, in Asian Youth Games

Nanjing, China:  Anjana Dhavalu Thamake clinched the third gold for India by winning the girl's 800m race on a productive day for the country on the penultimate day of the second Asian Youth Games here on Thursday.

Rochelle Macfarlane Maria also picked up a silver in girl's triple jump while Garvit Batra in boy's tennis singles and the women's squash team bagged a bronze each.

The men's squash team also assured at least a silver as the trio of Madhav Yogesh Dhingra, Kush Kumar and Vijay Meena advanced to the final after defeating Hong Kong, China 2-1 in the semifinals. The final will be held tomorrow.

With one day left in the Games, India's medal tally swelled to 11 (three gold, three silver, five bronze) to remain at the ninth spot.

Thamake's gold and Maria's silver medals on the concluding day of the track and field events ensured that the controversy-marred athletics campaign ended on a high after 18 Indian athletes were thrown out of the Games due to overage.

Thamake clocked a personal best of two minutes 11.47 seconds to bag the gold ahead of Savinder Kaur (2:14.14) of Malaysia and Sri Lanka's K Dilhani Fernando (2:15.72).

Thamake led the eight-athlete field all through and won the race comfortably.

Maria jumped to her personal best of 12.38m which she came up in her fifth and penultimate attempt to win the silver.

Ma Yue of China won the gold with an effort of 12.55m while Lee Hyeonjeong of Korea was third with 12.28m.

In tennis, Garvit Batra lost his men's singles semifinal match to second seed Jurence Zosimo Mendoza of Philippines 4-6 7-6 0-6 to settle for a bronze.

Harshit Kaur and Adya Advai also lost 0-2 to their Malaysian opponents in their semifinal match in women's squash team event to settle for a bronze.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/kfeflns

IBL: Saina Nehwal guides Hyderabad to a 3-2 win over Mumbai

Pune:  Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal shepherded the Hyderabad Hotshots to a comfortable 3-2 victory over Mumbai Masters in the inaugural Indian Badminton League at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at Balewadi here on Thursday.

Despite a thrilling victory by world number one Lee Chong Wei of Mumbai Masters in the opening match, the Hotshots bounced back with Saina winning her women's singles, followed by triumph of men's doubles combo of V Shem Goh and W L Khim and later men's singles player Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk emerged victorious to seal the tie in Hyderabad's favour.

Having registered three victories from four outings, the Hotshots are at the top of the table with 15 points.

Two-time silver medallist at the Olympics, Lee opened the account for Mumbai Masters with a thrilling 21-19 11-21 11-5 win over Ajay Jayaram of Hyderabad in the first men's singles that lasted 47 minutes.

Post his win Lee Chong said: "Initially the wind was very high and I decided to start slow. It took me some time to adjust but the warm up gave good result. I am happy with the win. We are one up already."

However, world number four Saina Nehwal thrashed P C Thulasi 21-7 21-10 in a 28-minute women's singles match to bring Hyderabad's campaign back on track here.

Saina said, "It feels so good to win all the matches I have played so far. I came here for the World Championship last time and got the same support from Pune. I am glad to once again make my fans in Pune happy."

Hyderabad's Goh and Khim then took the court against B S Reddy and Manu Attri of Mumbai in the men's doubles match and the duo rallied from a game down to give the Hotshots a 2-1 lead with a 11-21 21-16 11-9 victory.

"Both Reddy and Attri played very well which put us under pressure from the beginning. But the cheers of crowd for our team brought us back in the game," Goh and Khim said after registering the victory.

At this juncture, the onus was on Marc Zweibler of Germany to bring Mumbai back into the contest, but the world number 12 was stunned 21-19 17-21 11-6 by the Saensomboonsuk of Thailand, who is ranked 19th, to give Hyderabad an unassailable 3-1 lead.

"I really enjoyed playing. Marc was good competition for me but my confidence levels were very high from the beginning and it reflected in my winning shots," Tanongsak said.

Mumbai, however, managed to reduce the margin of defeat with Vladimir Ivanov and Sikki Reddy beating Tarun Kona and Padyna Gadre of Hyderabad 21-18 21-19 in the mixed doubles match.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/k4rse29

Sanctions Against Iran Mean a Tennis Referee Can’t Work at the Open

In May, the Iranian tennis referee Adel Borghei received confirmation that he had secured a coveted slot at the United States Open. “Congratulations,” the letter started.

Borghei booked his travel, obtained a visa and worked several other tournaments until he arrived in the United States. He was scheduled to start work at the Open on Tuesday, in the qualifying rounds. Instead, he is in Florida, in limbo, unable to fulfill what he described as a dream assignment because of United States’ sanctions against Iran.

In an e-mail sent on behalf of Rich Kaufman, director of officials, the United States Tennis Association said “current United States law” prohibited the Open from “retaining the services of a resident of Iran.” The e-mail included an apology and expressed a hope that Borghei could work a future Open.

“This should not be about politics,” Borghei said in a telephone interview. “That’s what I have a problem here with. I don’t want to talk about politics. But they’re mixing up politics and sports.”

Borghei has refereed or umpired tennis tournaments in more than 30 countries. He worked an Australian Open final and seven Wimbledon tournaments. He obtained certification at the bronze badge level for a chair umpire and at the silver badge level for a referee (gold is the highest level for both).

The problem, it appears, is with his visa. In general, retaining the services of a resident of Iran is prohibited in the United States, unless authorization can be obtained.

“The U.S. Open would be authorized, for instance, to import the services of an Iranian referee” under certain visa categories, a Treasury Department spokesman wrote in an e-mail. Such categories would include “aliens with extraordinary ability” and “athletics, artists and entertainers.”

Borghei has a more basic visitor’s visa, which would not fall under the category of general authorization. Gaining authorization would require another application, or an appeal, or more red tape, according to two people familiar with the sanctions against Iran.

Farhad Alavi, a partner at Akrivis Law Group in Washington and an expert in United States sanctions, said the approach taken by Open officials was based on a strict interpretation of the applicable laws. He said it highlighted how those laws have created unintended consequences for people like Borghei who are far from the political realm.

“This case does show the personal impact this is having on a lot of individuals,” Alavi said in a telephone interview. “Politics are crossing into everything, even something as universal as sports. We sometimes forget these things do impact people.”

Alavi said Borghei could appeal directly to the Office of Foreign Assets Control and that the process could be expedited in time for the Open, where the main draw begins Monday and will continue for two weeks.

Borghei, 32, was a tennis player before he became an umpire. He said he was certified in Iran in 2000 and then began to work his way up. From January until now, he refereed all over the world, in Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Poland, British Columbia and then in Montreal for the Rogers Cup, a Masters Series event.

That was where he received the letter saying he could not work the Open. He contacted an Olympic committee in Iran. He tried to reach lawyers. He attempted to get more details from United States Open officials, but said he received only vague answers in response.

Borghei is staying with a friend in Florida. He said he spent $2,000 to $3,000 to cover expenses after the tournament assignment was denied. But that, he said, is beside the point. He wants to work. He will wait until he can no longer appeal, until his options have run out.

“If all I cared about was the money, I wouldn’t come here. I wouldn’t be here now,” Borghei said. “I want to be in this tournament. I want to live the dream. This isn’t about money, or politics. It’s about tennis.”
A version of this article appears in print on August 22, 2013, on page B12 of the New York edition with the headline: Sanctions Against Iran Mean a Tennis Referee Can’t Work at the Open.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/22/sports/tennis/us-sanctions-mean-iranian-referee-cant-work-at-the-us-open.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0

Wasim Akram marries Australian girlfriend Shaniera Thompson

Famed Pakistan paceman Wasim Akram on Wednesday announced that he had married his Australian girlfriend, Shaniera Thompson, saying he has started a new life on a happy note.

"I married Shaniera in Lahore last week in a simple ceremony and this is the start of a new life for me, my wife and for my kids," Wasim told AFP.

The 47-year-old's first wife Huma died in 2009 after multiple organ failure.

Wasim proposed to the 30-year-old former public relations consultant on bended knee last month and they married on August 12.

Thompson came to Karachi earlier this month before going to Lahore to see Wasim's ailing father. There the marriage was solemnised in the presence of immediate family and a few close friends.

Wasim said Thompson had converted to Islam and is learning Urdu.

"She has embraced Islam and is learning our language. She has been close to my sons and they form a very good bond," said Wasim of his two sons from his first marriage.

He said his new wife was eager to settle quickly in Pakistan.

"I sincerely hope the people of Pakistan and our friends and supporters across the globe will give us their blessing and support," he said.

Wasim played 104 Tests and 356 one-day internationals for Pakistan in a career lasting from 1984 to 2003.

He was regarded as one of the best left-arm fast bowlers to have played the game and remains a major celebrity in Pakistan.

Wasim was player of the tournament in the country's only triumph in the World Cup, in Australia in 1992. He captained Pakistan to a runners-up finish in the 1999 World Cup in England.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/l4k3h6y

Sachin Tendulkar likely to retire after 200th Test: Ghavri

KOLKATA: With Sachin Tendulkar set to play his 200th Test Match during the upcoming Indian tour of South Africa, the batting maestro may bid goodbye to the game after the landmark match, former Test pacer Karsan Ghavri said.

"He already has all the records and we all surely would love to see him getting to another landmark -- his 200th Test Match. I think he has been waiting for the right time and as soon as he plays the 200th game he will retire," Gahvri said.

In the city to participate in an Independence Day celebration, Ghavri described Tendulkar as the country's greatest sporting ambassador. Tendulkar is just two short of achieving the landmark of having played in 200 Tests.

"It's not that after retiring he will be out of the game. He is such a great name, he will always be associated with cricket. All his records are almost impossible to be broken and the landmark of 200 Test matches is just unbelievable," added Gahvri.

India's tour to South Africa, beginning November this year, is slated to comprise two T20 Internationals, seven One Day Internationals and three Tests.Source  : http://tinyurl.com/kovpbxp

India's junior table tennis stars win gold in El Salvador

After their gold medal winning performances at the Guatemala events, the Indian paddlers travelled to the neighbouring El Salvador to begin their campaign against teams lime Argentina, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Ecuador.

Keeping their top billing intact, India A and India B teams in both the cadet boys and cadet girls sections proved to be a cut above the rest in fray.

The A squad, comprising Anirban Ghosh and Birdie Boro, defeated India B, which consisted of Arjun Ghosh and Lalrin Puia, 3-0 to claim the team title.

In the cadet girls section, the India A girls -- Sagarika Mukherjee and Harsha Vardhini Ravichandran -- downed India B team, comprising Aishwarya Pathak and Moumita Dutta, 3-0 in the final.
India's junior table tennis players shone bright at the El Salvador Junior and Cadet Open Table Tennis championships by winning both the cadet boys and cadet girls team titles.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/n2ch4fv

Indian Badminton League: PV Sindhu-Saina Nehwal clash attracts huge crowd at Siri Fort

After the inaugural day lull, the sports lovers made full use of the Independence Day holiday on Thursday by turning up in large numbers on the second day of the Indian Badminton League at the Siri Fort Sports Complex here.

Spectators, who hardly made their presence felt on day one with performers virtually performing in front of empty stands, today braved the parking woes and tough security checks to witness two top women's singles shuttlers - Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu -- in action.

With Saina locking horns with Sindhu for the first time, fans queued up well in time to cheer for India's two most popular shuttlers.

Even, Finance Minister P Chidambaram utilised his day off to see the badminton stars in action. Also seen in the stands was 2004 Athens Olympics silver medallist shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

Turning up in an uncustomary T-shirt and trousers, Chidambaram met both Saina and Sindhu and also felicitated the 18-year-old rising star for her recent bronze-medal winning effort in the World Championships in China.

Saina got the better of her junior opponent in straight games, and it seemed that even luck was on the London Olympics bronze medallist's side as Sindhu's mother was seen cladded in Hyderabad Hotshots' jersey colour - yellow, rather than Awadhe Warriors blue colour.

Meanwhile, autograph seekers queued up in front of the commentary box when Saina came there for a brief chat.

Amidst the Saina-Sindhu rivalry, the fans had a great time watching the two ladies being involved in a fierce battle with banners carrying their names and messages all around.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/lpgvzh8

Teenage juggling champs spin for glory in Afghan finals

KABUL :  His eyes red with concentration, Ahmad Zekria, 13, stumbled from the stage in triumph after keeping four balls spinning through the air for 33 minutes at Afghanistan’s national juggling championships.
Cheered on by his team-mates from Bamiyan province, Ahmad outlasted eight other young jugglers to win a trophy at the annual competition, which encourages children to learn circus skills to improve their lives.
“It is good fun, and helps strengthen your mind and your health,” said Ahmad, dressed in skinny jeans and a bright yellow belt. “The concentration is very tiring but I want to be an athlete when I am older.”
The eighth edition of the championships brought together about 100 extremely talented children who had won through to Wednesday’s grand final from heats staged in seven provinces across war-torn Afghanistan.
The event is part of Kabul’s week-long circus festival, which includes street parades and coaching sessions in refugee camps as well as the fiercely-competitive championships, held at a bustling public school.
The programme will culminate with a big show on Saturday afternoon featuring juggling, acrobatics and live stunts at the restored Babur gardens in the city centre.
“Juggling encourages these children to show focus, to learn the benefit of routine practice and to demonstrate great passion,” trainer Lutfullah Naeemi said.
“At the same time, they get a huge amount of enjoyment and they gain skills, confidence and self-esteem. They learn to be happy through play, and it gives them something to engage with other than the fighting.”
While the official competition continued on stage in front of a panel of judges, dozens of children showed off a bewildering array of skills in the school playground.
Shy girls in white headdresses threw spinning clubs to each other, while one girl juggled five tennis balls at once and other children walked around on stilts.
The festival is organised by the Mobile Mini Children’s Circus (MMCC), a programme that has provided teaching, support and care for tens of thousands of Afghan children since it was founded in 2002.
“Circus skills are a tool to reach out to children because everyone has fun together, which is what this country needs,” said the group’s Danish founder Berit Muhlhausen.
The group works in several provinces, and takes a colourful, converted shipping container into internally displaced persons camps to use as a mobile circus centre, Muhlhausen said, adding: “We keep the programme sustainable by former pupils turning into teachers.”
Being able to perform breathtaking juggling tricks might seem like an income earner for poor Afghan children, but organisers don’t allow pupils to go street-busking because it is associated with begging.
Instead, they encourage children to entertain anyone from infants to old men.
“Often we find children teaching bearded elders some basic juggling skills, but of course the young ones are much better, which always produces laughter,” said Muhlhausen.
“Circus skills are special because everyone can try them at some level, even juggling with potatoes or stones, and it just connects people.”
The MMCC, which is funded by individual donations and grants including from the Danish embassy, also uses its workshops to teach children about the dangers of landmines and to respect all Afghanistan’s ethnic groups, which are often locked in rivalry.
But for Marwa, 12, who wears a long red dress with silver decorations, juggling is all about practice and improvement.
“I juggle for at least one hour every day,” she said. “It is very difficult at first, then you learn and get better, and then you can try to learn more tricks.”

Source: http://tinyurl.com/kqrm8lc

AZHARUDDIN TO COACH JK TEAM: DR FAROOQ

New Delhi, Aug 14: Former India captain Muhammad Azharuddin could soon return to official cricket fold – not as a player but as a coach.
 Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), President, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, disclosed on Tuesday that the 50- year- old former stylish batsman has agreed to coach the team in the domestic season beginning on October 27.
 “I have spoken to Azharuddin and he has accepted it [the offer]. He is willing to train our boys,” Abdullah told Mail Today.
 Azharuddin could not be reached for comment.
 Azharuddin, who played 99 Tests and 334 ODIs between 1984 and 2000 and is still fit as a fiddle, hasn’t apparently signed a formal contract and when he eventually does that, it will mark his acceptance into the official cricket fraternity after the Andhra Pradesh High Court in November last year declared the match- fixing- related life ban illegal.
 Abdullah, however, did not say whether Azharuddin would take up the responsibility on a full- time basis or part time. Since he is a member of Parliament, Azharuddin also has to attend Parliament sessions and that would clash with his new coaching assignment.
 Jammu and Kashmir does not have a coach at the moment after Bishan Singh Bedi, who guided the state Ranji Trophy and Under- 22 state teams in the last two years, asked the association to relieve him with one year of his three- year contract remaining.
 Azharuddin would be replacing the legendary left- arm spinner.
 Azharuddin, a Member of Parliament from Moradabad Lok Sabha constituency, has dabbled in coaching over the years. He coached an England Performance Programme squad in Chennai in December 2007 and had earlier given tips to England batsman Owais Shah, who termed that meeting a “turning point” in his career. Besides, he regularly coaches his elder son Asaduddin, an aspiring cricketer.
 In his playing days Azharuddin was one of best fielders in the world and he retains the same fitness and is a regular at the gym.
 Meanwhile, the announcement came as a surprise to officials of JK team.
 “It is news for me as we have discussed nothing of this sort till now in any of the Association meeting. It is surprise development for me and all the other JKCA officials,” JKCA official said.
 “After the releasing of Bedi as coach there has been speculation regarding appointment of new coach and Muhammad Azharuddin’s name also came up. If Dr Farooq has really confirmed this then it is big development and all should welcome it,” he added.
 Another JKCA official said that instead of appointing high profile coach for JK team, Dr Farooq should focus on streamlining the affairs of JKCA itself.
 “After the multi-crore scandal hit JKCA, the functioning of Association has been hampered. Instead of going on for to make high profile coach appointment I think JKCA President should focus on re-organisation of Association which include conduct of elections,” official said.
 However one of the former General Secretary of JKCA said that Dr Farooq has been keen on to rope well known figure as chief coach of JK Cricket and it should not come up as surprise for anyone if has struck deal with Muhammad Azharuddin.
 “From last five to six months, JKCA President has been making efforts to rope in Muhammad Azharuddin as JK team coach. However due to tragic accident of former national team skippers son the deal could not be finalised,” he said.
 “It is also known fact that Dr Farooq takes important JKA decisions on his own and need not sanction from JKCA working committee. The committee only endorses his decisions later on,” he said.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/mchh5t2

Indian Badminton League (IBL) 2013: Match Schedule and Time Table

The inaugural edition of the Indian Badminton League (IBL) 2013, which is inspired by the success of Indian Premier League, a sporting extravaganza of Twenty20 cricket, is set to kick off on Wednesday (14 August) at Delhi.
Featuring some of the biggest names in world badminton, including India's ace shuttler Saina Nehwal (world No.4), Lee Chong Wei (world No.1 from Malaysia), PV Sindhu, who won bronze medal in the recent World Championships, and several others, IBL is expected to change the face of the sports in this cricket-crazy country.
There are six franchises namely Hyderabad Hotshots, Banga Beats, Krrish Delhi Smashers, Awadhe Warriors, Pune Pistons and Mumbai Masters. Each team comprises of six Indian players, four foreigners and a junior Indian.
A total of 90 matches will be played and the teams will play matches in two legs - home and away. The top four teams will feature in the semi-finals and the winners of the semi-finals will progress to the final to be played in Mumbai on 31 August.
The tournament proposed by Badminton Association of India (BAI) will come to an end after 18 days of competition. The matches will be broadcast live on ESPN and Star Sports 2.
Match Schedule and Time Table:

Day/Date	Time	Teams	Venue
Wed, 14 Aug	08:00 pm	Krrish Delhi Smashers Vs Pune Pistons	DDA Badminton and Squash Stadium, Delhi
Thur, 15 Aug	04:00 pm	Hyderabad Hotshots Vs Awadhe Warriors	DDA Badminton and Squash Stadium, Delhi
Thur, 15 Aug	08:00 pm	Banga Beats vs Mumbai Masters	DDA Badminton and Squash Stadium, Delhi
Sat, 17 Aug	04:00 pm	Krrish Delhi Smashers Vs Hyderabad Hotshots	Babu Banarasi Das U.P. Badminton Academy, Lucknow
Sat, 17 Aug	08:00 pm	Mumbai Masters Vs Pune Pistons	Babu Banarasi Das U.P. Badminton Academy, Lucknow
Sun, 18 Aug	08:00 pm	Banga Beats Vs Awadhe Warriors	Babu Banarasi Das U.P. Badminton Academy, Lucknow
Mon, 19 Aug	08:00 pm	Hyderabad Hotshots Vs Pune Pistons	Sardar Patel Stadium, NSCI, Mumbai
Tue, 20 Aug	08:00 pm	Krrish Delhi Smashers Vs Mumbai Masters	Sardar Patel Stadium, NSCI, Mumbai
Thur, 22 Aug	04:00 pm	Hyderabad Hotshots Vs Mumbai Masters	Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Badminton Hall, Pune
Thur, 22 Aug	08:00 pm	Awadhe Warriors Vs Krrish Delhi Smashers	Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Badminton Hall, Pune
Fri, 23 Aug	08:00 pm	Pune Pistons Vs Banga Beats	Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Badminton Hall, Pune
Sat, 24 Aug	08:00 pm	Awadhe Warriors Vs Mumbai Masters	Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bangalore
Sun, 25 Aug	08:00 pm	Banga Beats Vs Krrish Delhi Smashers	Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bangalore
Mon, 26 Aug	08:00 pm	Awadhe Warriors Vs Pune Pistons	Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad
Tue, 27 Aug	08:00 pm	Hyderabad Hotshots Vs Banga Beats	Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad
Wed, 28 Aug	08:00 pm	First Semifinal	Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad
Thur, 29 Aug	08:00 pm	Second Semifinal	Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bangalore
Sat, 31 Aug	08:00 pm	Final	Sardar Patel Stadium, NSCI, Mumbai

Source: http://tinyurl.com/l6qydt8

Badminton's million-dollar leap

The smashing success of Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu on the world stage was just the kind of boost the Indian Badminton League needed. Touted as innovative and revolutionary, the league, which is modelled on cricket's Indian Premier League, is expected to generate quite a buzz when it kicks off in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Offering hefty sums to players, the million-dollar league has attracted players from all corners of the world. The 18-day extravaganza, which will be loaded with exhilarating badminton action as well as loads of entertainment of the Bollywood kind, is expected to strike the right chord with spectators.

When Hyderabad hosted the World Championships a few years back, spectators mostly chose to stay away. But maybe because of the 'Saina Effect', people were jostling for space to get a glimpse of their favourite shuttlers at the Commonwealth Games finals in New Delhi. Saina and the glamourous duo of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won the titles, much to the delight of the packed house.

Saina followed up that splendid performance with a dozen more international titles, including several prestigious Super Series Premier titles, and the popularity of the game soared. Chief coach Pullela Gopichand too began producing more players like Sindhu, Srikanth, Parupalli Kashyap and Sai Praneeth, to name but a few. It was then that the Badminton of Association of India decided to derive the benefits.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Badminton Association successfully conducted the Maharashtra Badminton League, offering more food for thought to the national body. The moment appeared opportune after Saina's bronze at the Olympics, prompting BAI president Akhilesh Das Gupta to hunt for an event manager who could handle the league.

In Ashish Chadha, a former shuttler and journalist, they found the right guy to take the idea forward. Though he faced initial blues and endured severe hurdles, Chadha, through his Sporty Solutionz, managed to accumulate huge sums from sponsors.

Initially there were about 29 bids for the six teams and IBL picked six owners, which includes heavyweights like Sahara, PVP Ventures, Krissh Group and Dabur. Celebrities like Nagarjuna, Sunil Gavaskar and Chamundesawaranath bought the Mumbai team.

Six franchises bought the teams for a period of 10 years and Gupta says that all of them will break even within two years. "We never thought we would get such overwhelming response from the sponsors and from the fans. Our franchises are happy and we are confident that they will break even in two years. IBL has made our players quite rich and we are confident that it will get better," Gupta said.

The absence of Chinese, Koreans and super stars like newly-crowned world champion Ratchanok Intanon has, however, robbed the league of some sheen.

World No.1 Lee Chong Wei might be a doubtful starter but the Indian fans are not bothered. For them, the first-ever competitive match between Saina and teen sensation PV Sindhu is the one to watch out for.

The six-team league will start with the showdown between Krrish Delhi Smashers and Pune Pistons.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/mkqlm2n