Saina declared 'most promising player'

Monday, December 8, 2008 (New Delhi)
Saina Nehwal's good performance in the year 2008 has been recognised by the World Badminton Federation as the world body declared her the 'most promising player of the year' in its council meeting in Seoul.

She was elected out of three players proposed by the world body ahead of one Korean and one from Pan America. Saina, who became the first Indian women to break into the list of world top-10, had a dreamrun this year. After reaching the quarterfinals of Beijing Olympics, she also won Chinese Taipei Open, World Junior championship and Commonwealth Youth Games.

Elated at being bestowed with the honour, Saina said, "I am very excited and happy to get this honour. I never expected such an award but now that I have got it, it has motivated me a lot and given me a big boost."I just want to work even harder now and get more results," she added.

Let's have cricket in Olympics: London Mayor

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 (London)
London Mayor Boris Johnson has strongly backed cricket's inclusion in Olympics and wants the Twenty20 format to make its debut when the city hosts the 2012 edition of the Games."It is high time we install in the Olympic T20 cricket," Johnson said at a high level business reception by Think London, an organisation that connects international businesses to the city.Many top players like retired Australian stumper Adam Gilchrist have also backed cricket's inclusion in Olympic Games.Cricket has never been a feature of multi-disciplinary events with an exception of 1900 Paris Olympic Games and the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games.

Rain forecast may cause delayed start of first Test

Intermittent rains on Tuesday and the prediction of more showers in the coming two days could disrupt the first cricket Test between India and England, beginning on Thursday.

Meteorological Centre Regional Director S R Ramanan told PTI that one or two spells of rains was suppose to lash city in the next 48 hours."For the next 48 hours, there would be one or two spells of rain and cloudy weather conditions would prevail due to activity of the North East Monsoon over Tamil Nadu," he said.

"There is no alert of low pressure or depression in the Bay of Bengal. This is only a normal monsoon activity.

Gradual reduction of rain fall was expected from Thursday, the day that the first Test was to commence," he added.City has been experiencing intermittent rain forcing the Indian team to abandon their practice session, which was delayed from morning to the afternoon, while the England team already in the stadium also faced the same fate.

England team arrived here last night to commence their short tour of India with the first Test but was denied of any practice at the Chepauk grounds so far due to constant drizzle.

Reaching the stadium around 2.00 pm the English were forced to stay indoors at the stadium dressing room, while the Indian could have their sessions for over an hour and were forced to abandon it, also due to rain.In fact, the Indian team which was scheduled to have their practice session from 10.00 am rescheduled their plan to 12.30 pm this afternoon.

The two-Test series was originally scheduled to be played in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, but was shifted to Chennai and Mohali for security reasons after the Mumbai terror attacks.

Frenzied Kolkatans can't have enough of Maradona

Kolkata: Frenzied Kolkatans didn't seem to have enough of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona as he visited the Mother House to pay obeisance to Mother Teresa and later called on Marxist icon Jyoti Basu, crowding both venues for a glimpse of the star and screaming themselves hoarse with their slogans.

On the second day of his visit to the city, Maradona lit a candle at Mother Teresa's tomb, participated in a prayer session with the sisters of the order, and shook hands with the orphan children to fulfil a wish that he has nurtured for years.

And from all accounts, Maradona and Basu got along famously - thanks to their common "friend", Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

"Viva Maradona", "Maradona, Maradona", shouted frenzied fans as he went to pay homage at the tomb of Mother Teresa - the Catholic nun revered worldwide as the Apostle of Peace.
Maradona spent half-an-hour at the Mother House, the global headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa in South Kolkata.

"I wanted to see what Mother Teresa has done in this city. So I want to utilise this trip to visit the Mother House," Maradona said on Saturday, disclosing why he had agreed to come to the city.

Mother Teresa, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, is known for her monumental work among the underprivileged.

Clad in a black T-shirt and jeans, Maradona arrived in a silver-white Mercedes at Mother House to deafening cheers from thousands of people who waited for hours on the streets and had perched themselves precariously on trees and walls of nearby buildings for a glimpse of the soccer genius.

He waved and threw flying kisses, as nuns of the order, draped in blue-white sarees received him on the narrow ally leading to the Mother House.

Once inside the courtyard of the building, Maradona and his girlfriend Veronica were welcomed with a blue-white garland by the sisters, who also seemed to enjoy every bit of their interaction with the soccer superstar.

Evidently in high spirits, Maradona went round the building, and met the young orphans - some of them mentally challenged.

He patted the infants on the head and kissed and embraced them before proceeding to the room where the Mother's grave lies.

Hands clasped, Maradona stood silently before the tomb and then lit a candle as the sisters chanted prayers.

Pindrop silence descended on the room once the prayers ended, as Maradona seemed to soak in the serenity of the place. He then knelt down and kissed the white marble of the tomb.
Before leaving, Maradona went back to the children. "Bye, bye", he said.

Outside, soccer fans sporting Argentine jerseys tried to break the barricade put up by the security personnel deployed in strength.

"I want to touch his feet - his left foot, and see what it is made of," said a youth.

"If he doesn't mind, I want to embrace him. Can you help me?" was another young Maradona fan's plea to a scribe.

Maradona called on Basu later in the day.
"Maradona told Basu, 'I (Maradona) am a friend of Fidel Castro, and you (Basu) are a friend of Castro too'," West Bengal Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty told mediapersons waiting outside Basu's home in North 24-Parganas district.

"He further said 'Whoever is Castro's friend across the world is also my friend'," Chakraborty added.

The football hero met the nonagenarian politician for 10 minutes, but disappointed his fans who waited in hundreds outside Basu's residence.

Lending a communist hue to Maradona's visit to Kolkata, the organisers had arranged for a tete-a-tete between him and Basu. Maradona, a great admirer of Castro, readily agreed to call on Basu at his residence after seeing a photograph of the former chief minister with Castro.

The photo, showing Castro and Basu standing side by side, was taken in 1973 when the former Cuban president visited the city. It was sent to Maradona about 10 days ago by the organisers of his visit.

Kolkata, the soccer crazy hub of India, had accorded a tumultuous welcome to the hero of Argentina's 1986 World Cup triumph since he landed in the city in the wee hours on Saturday.

More than 50,000 exuberant fans spent a sleepless night as they assembled at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport and lined the route of his convoy upto the hotel.

Around 80,000 people turned up on Saturday afternoon at the giant Salt Lake stadium, where Maradona was felicitated. He also laid the foundation stone of the Indian Football School at Maheshtala, 13 km south of the city.

Jeev Milkha Singh reaches 36th in world rankings

New Delhi: Golfer Jeev Milkha Singh has touched a career-high ranking of 36 in world rankings after his win in Golf Nippon Series JT Cup in Japan on Sunday.

Jeev, who got 24 points for his win in Japan, now has two wins in his last three tournaments.
He had won Barclay's Singapore Open, before his win in Japan. He has already won the Asian Tour Order of Merit title this year, with record earnings of $1.44 million.

He also finished tied 11th at UBS Hong Kong Open.

The last time he finished the year within the top 50 was in 2006, when he was ranked 37th. The next best Indian in world rankings after Jeev is Jyoti Randhawa, who is ranked 147.

Arjun Atwal (201), SSP Chowrasia (324), Shiv Kapur (433) and Gaurav Ghei (472) follow Randhawa.

Bhutia disappointed with handling of Maradona's visit

The chaos which nearly threatened to upset Diego Maradona's felicitation programme at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan left India captain Baichung Bhutia disappointed.

Bhutia, who led the External Affairs XI side against the Chief Ministers XI in an exhibition match, was thrilled to have come close to the legend, was however, unhappy with the way things were handled by the organisers, the state governement and celebrity management company.

"Things could have been better handled. There were too many people around with the cops and media getting into the way of things. That Maradona will be visiting Kolkata was known before hand, but the organisation left a lot to be desired," said the India and Mohun Bagan skipper.However, the Sikkimese snipper was thrilled with the experience.

"It was great to come close to the legend. There was a lot of excitement and it was nice that such a legend visited the city.

"Bhutia's team won the match 1-0, courtesy an own goal. Maradona is scheduled to visit Mohun Bagan club on Sunday for a clinic with under-12 boys of the club but Bhutia said he won't be there."I know a lot of players would be going but I am not going there," he said.

Maradona willing to help Indian football

Soccer legend Diego Maradona on Saturday said he is open to helping India develop the game once his tenure as Argentina's coach ends.

"I am now on contract as coach of Argentina. Once the contract ends I would like to come to India and help improve the soccer infrastructure in this country," Maradona said during a 45-minute freewheeling media conference.

The 'God of soccer', who received a tumultuous welcome from thousands of fans since his arrival early Saturday, said he was touched by the affection of Kolkatans and would love to return to India.

"The affection I have received here has added to my will to return," he said.

The 48-year-old Maradona who in the morning laid the foundation stone of the Indian Football School at Maheshtala, said: "We are discussing some projects, and if these discussions are fruitful I will come back."

Asked how India should proceed to get its own Maradona, the hero of Argentina's 1986 World Cup victory said: "I think a lot of attention and affection must be given to young players who are doing well. There is lot of competition in the world and India has a lot to achieve."

Expressing his "whole-hearted" support to Indian football, he said: "I think stress should be given on infrastructural development."

Maradona said he was moved by the love and affection showered on him here. "I really feel very emotional. I thought I have gone through enough experiences in this life. But after coming here I think there are more to come."

When a scribe asked Maradona, whether he felt scared on seeing thousands of passionate soccer buffs here, he promptly replied: "No, I have never been scared in my life. On the contrary, I was very much surprised and pleased to see all those waiting for me."

Maradona said one his reason to come to India was to visit the Mother House here. "I wanted to see what Mother Teresa has done in this city. So I want to utilise this trip to visit Mother House."

Jeev tied third after round 3 in Tokyo

Jeev Milkha Singh carded a modest two-under 68 to slip down to the tied third spot but being just one stroke off the pace, the Indian remained in contention for the title after the penultimate round of the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup on Saturday.

The seasoned Indian pro has a total of eight-under 202, just a stroke behind the leading duo of Prayad Marksaeng (63) and Toshinori Muto (66).

Starting off on a steady not, Jeev parred the first five holes before hitting a stunning eagle on the sixth, which was followed by a birdie the very next hole.

But a bogey on the ninth meant that he made the turn two-under.

The Chandigarh-golfer played out a subdued back-nine and picked up a birdie against a bogey to finish two-under for the day.

Jeev shares the third spot with locals Taichi Teshima (65) and Ryo Ishikowa (66).

Hola! Kolkata greets football legend Maradona

Kolkata: Yes, Diego Maradona arrived at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose airport, Kolkata on Friday.
The Argentinean legend was greeted by a number of fans who stood on both sides of the road as he drove from the airport to the hotel.
When Goal.com learnt about Maradona coming to India, it dismissed it as some speculation or what the English call ‘papertalk’. Thereafter, it came to light that a celebrity management group and a Member of Parliament (MP) were behind this trip.
Ever since the news of Maradona’s arrival in India broke, there has been a frenzy and everyone has been waiting for the Argentina coach to arrive.
For last few days, most papers in the City of Joy were solely focused on Maradona. Sadly, though not much attention was given to the Federation Cup.
Everyday, people were treated to news such as Mohun Bagan to felicitate Maradona, the Rs100 tickets have been sold, XYZ would meet Maradona and what not. I must say that the PR agencies have done a good job.
Then you had MP Shamik Lahiri making new revelations each day as to what he talked about with Maradona! He even conveyed the media when Maradona uttered the hardest word ‘sorry’ to Jorge Valdano for not releasing the ball to score the ‘Greatest Goal of the Century!’
Everyday, there was some meeting and organisation to put up the 48 year old. The hotels were changed and the security was upped. Two helicopters have been fetched for his travel to Maheshtala where he will inaugurate the Indian Football School (IFS).
Then there were doubts as to whether he would come especially after the Mumbai terror when almost all the embassies asked their citizens not to visit India for some time. There were enquiries from Maradona’s entourage as to whether it was safe to travel.
An official from the celebrity management group, who were involved in the organisation was quoted saying, “I said there was nothing to worry about. This (terrorism) is an internal problem, which is happening on an off in the country for the past 20 years. There’s nothing to worry about.
"After all, the state government is in-charge of his (Maradona's) security, what is there to worry about. Kolkata is very much safe city, with no history of terror attacks.”
Wow! While the whole of Indian intelligence agencies are mulling over a foreign hand in the terror plots, this gentleman very amicable puts it as an ‘internal problem!’ Maradona’s arrival has allayed all such fears.
Media from all across the nation has headed to Kolkata to catch a glimpse and in the hope of getting an one-on-one exclusive interview.
In such cosmetic press conferences, seldom does one get an honest remark especially on controversial topics.
When Bayern Munich came to Kolkata earlier this year, in one of the media interaction sessions, Mark Van Bommel was asked about his unsporting gesture with hand in the crook of the elbow incident in the Champions League match with Real Madrid in 2007.
The Dutchman was unhappy about this and stated that he would like to talk about something else.
An exhibition match between the Chief Minister’s XI and the Foreign Minister’s XI has been organised at the Salt Lake Stadium by the state government while the Federation Cup is being played at the Barasat Stadium!
The two sides will be captained by Bhaichung Bhutia and Dulal Biswas. Bhaichung’s side would be coached by Mohun Bagan’s Karim Bencherifa and East Bengal’s Stanley Rosario while Dulal’s team shall be guided by Mohammedan Sporting’s Shabbir Ali and Chirag United’s Subrata Bhattacharya.
One question which we expect Maradona to be asked, especially after the exhibition match, would be about Indian football and his opinion on that!
Opinions are formed only after having credible knowledge and analysis of the same. In football, first impression isn’t the last one as the game is very unpredictable!
For now, let’s greet the Legend! We are not sure whether Maradona will utter some words in Hindi or Bengali but for those who want a personal interaction with the star, please have some Spanish lessons. I would help you start.
Bienvenido Maradona! (Welcome Maradona!)

Pakistan government clears national hockey team's India visit

The Foreign Ministry has cleared the national hockey team's visit to India for a four-nation tournament to be played in Chandigarh and Jalandhar from January 31 next year, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) informed on Thursday.

PHF Secretary, Asif Bajwa told reporters that the Pakistan foreign ministry had given signal for the visit which was in doubt after tensions escalated between the two neighbouring countries following last weeks Mumbai terror attacks.

"Pakistan hockey team will be visiting India for a four-nation tourney starting next month," said Bajwa.Apart India and Pakistan .Germany and the Netherlands would also be participating in the double leg tournament.

Pakistan's visit was also in jeopardy after Indian government shunned their junior hockey team's tour last month due security fears.

The PHF later claimed that the cancellation of the five-match Test series between the junior sides has hit them hard financially as it lost close to Rs six million.Bajwa also said both the Indian and Pakistani hockey administrators have decided to conduct regular matches on a home-and-away basis for the next five years in the International Hockey Federation's congress in Los Angeles recently.

He said Pakistan will host a major eight-nation international tournament next year as a tribute to slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.However, he informed that the tournament will be held at a neutral venue due to security situation.

Shuttler Saina breaks into top 10, aims higher

New Delhi: Saina Nehwal has capped an incredible season by reaching the top 10 ranking in women's badminton singles.

The good news came on Friday morning and Saina woke up to find herself in an elite domain and world No. 10 is the highest ranking ever achieved by an Indian woman in world badminton.
For someone who targetted a top 25 finish at the beginning of the year, this is an achievement to cherish.

"I can see the happiness in my parent’s eyes and also Gopi Sir is very happy. I think the hard work and my focus and the way I played really helped me reach this level," an ecstatic Saina says.

The year 2008 has been a dream come true for the 18-year-old. It all turned around during Beijing Olympics where she stormed into the quarter-final of the women's singles event.
From then on there was no looking back as Saina eclipsed tennis star Sania Mirza.

A win at the Chinese Taipei Open and then back to back titles at the Commonwealth Youth Games and the World Juniors saw her climb the rankings.

"The way I started playing in May in the China Masters Super Series event, the first tournament where I reached the semi-finals, that day I thought you can do it Saina, You can be in top 10, you can beat top 10 players," she says.

But while it is time for her to celebrate, national coach Pullela Gopichand believes the best is yet to come.

"At this point of time I think target would be to get in right into the top 5 and that will happen if she gets in a few semi-final results and probably a couple of tournament victories," says Gopichand, who won the All-England Badminton Championship in 2001.

Breaking into the top 10 is one thing, staying there demands much more. Now there are new targets in sight for 2009 - the world championships in Hyderabad and the holy grail of badminton - the All-England championships.

Diego Maradona arrives in Kolkata

Saturday, December 6, 2008 (Kolkata)
"God of football" Diego Armando Maradona arrived on a two-day visit here early Saturday and was welcomed by thousands of Kolkatans who gave sleep a miss and lined the roads for a glimpse of the Argentinian.

People waved flags of India and Argentina, danced to the tune of foot-tapping Latin American music and raised slogans eulogising the football legend who touched down at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport at 1.25 am.

Kolkata, cricket crazy India's soccer crazy hub, saw passions run high as more than 50 thousand sports buffs assembled at the airport, and various street junctions leading to the hotel on the Eastern Metropolitan bypass where Maradona would put up.

It was a carnival atmosphere as the milling crowd held aloft cut-outs of the footballer, and carried posters.welcoming him in multiple languages - English, Hindi, Bengali and even Spanish. From old infirm men to children not yet in their teens, from able-bodied youth to bashful housewives - everyone seemed to have hit the streets.

"I have been waiting for more than an hour. I am a great fan of Maradona," said housewife Ratna Sen, who had travelled 25 km to be a part of the occasion.

The diminutive 1.65 m hero of Argentina's 1986 World Cup triumph was welcomed at the tarmac of the airport by West Bengal sports minister Subhas Chakraborty and the organisers with flowers.

"Maradona is a phenomenon. This is a momentous occasion. It's the raw passion for soccer which has brought so many people on the roads," said former India international footballer and Arjuna awardee Prasun Banerjee, waiting on a city street.

More than 5000 policemen, including the Rapid Action Force and crack commandos were deployed on the entire route of Maradona's convoy to prevent any breach of peace.

A couple of over-enthusiastic teenagers were seen climbing lamp posts near the airports to hoist Argentine flags, forcing the security personnel to step in and bring them down.

On Saturday morning, Maradona would begin his schedule by flying out in a helicopter to the facility of one of the sponsors before laying the foundation stone of the Maradona Indian Football School at Mahestala, 13 km south of the city.

Maradona, accompanied by his girlfriend Veronica, would also be felicitated at Maheshtala before returning to his hotel for a media meet that would be followed by the felicitation at the giant Salt Lake Stadium in the afternoon.

"It will be a programme worth remembering for years. Don't miss the start and the end," said Chakraborty.Maradona would kickstart a match between Foreign Minister's XI and Chief Minister's XI, where players turning out for various teams would take part. Among those seen in action would Bhaichung Bhutia and Jose Barreto

Later, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee would inaugurate the felicitation proper. Maradona would be showered with gifts, among which are golden replica of the stadium, and a left foot with a football.He would also go around the stadium in the bus, before the function concludes with a pyrotechnic display.

On Sunday, Maradona would visit Mother House, the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa. He would also call on former state chief minister and communist patriarch Jyoti Basu at his Salt Lake residence.

Maradona would conduct a soccer clinic at the Mohun Bagan ground later in the day, before wrapping up his visit with a charity dinner at the hotel. Five jerseys and footballs autographed by the soccer star would come under the hammer at the dinner, the proceeds of which would go to the IFS.

SC stays cases against Pawar & Co

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed all criminal proceedings initiated by the Calcutta High Court against Union Minister Sharad Pawar and five other BCCI officials in the Jagmohan Dalmiya expulsion case.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan stayed the proceedings on the applications moved by Pawar and five officials who contended that they were not heard by the High Court while passing the order.

Besides Pawar, others who were put on the dock were BCCI President Sashank Manohar, former secretary Niranjan Shah, Ratnakar Shetty (Chief Administrative Officer), N Srinivasan (Secretary) and Chirayu Amin, junior Cricket Committee Chairman.

The Calcutta High Court had on November 12 directed initiation of criminal proceedings against Manohar, former Board president Sharad Pawar and four officials for filing "false" affidavits in the Dalmiya expulsion case.

Dalmiya, a former BCCI chief, was expelled from the Board for alleged financial irregularities.

India-England series should go on: ICC

The International Cricket Council on Sunday said the two-Test series between India and England should be held as scheduled provided there was enough safety and security for the players and officials.

The world governing body of the game expressed 'shock' over the Mumbai terror strikes and also promised to address the security issue which was affecting the game worldwide.

"If safety and security allow then I would urge the England Test tour of India to go ahead and if it does so then representatives of the ICC will be there to show solidarity with the competing teams," ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.

"And if those Tests are played I would also urge supporters of the game to attend them as that will be the best way to send a message to those who seek to disrupt our way of life, that we will not be prevented from doing what we want or what we enjoy," Lorgat added.

Lorgat commiserated with India in the wake of the Mumbai mayhem which claimed nearly 200 lives but urged cricket playing nations not to let terror affect the game in any part of the world.

On behalf of the ICC, I would like to offer the condolences and sympathy of the entire cricket world to Mumbai and to India in the wake of the terrible events of the last few days."Sadly, terrorism appears increasingly to be a fact of life that we must endure.

What we as a cricket family must do is to try, wherever possible, to rise above it and show that those who wish to perpetrate evil cannot win," he said.

Lorgat said they will ponder over the issue of security at next week's Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) meeting of the ICC to be held in South Africa."At that meeting I intend to raise the question of how we can all come together to address the challenges that the issue of safety and security brings to our game.

"Cricket is a common thread that binds all ICC Members and we must seek to ensure those ties endure. By doing so we will ensure our strong sport will grow even stronger," added Lorgat.

ICC also pledged support to the India and England cricket boards to help game get back on track.I have today written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) pledging whatever support the ICC can offer to help ensure that, if appropriate, cricket goes ahead."I have also written to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with a similar offer of support and solidarity," Lorgat said through the statement.

Indian boxers confident of a good show in World Cup

New Delhi: India's boxers are set for a new challenge after making a mark at Beijing Olympic Games.
Indian boxers not only won a medal, but also the admiration of the world's top boxing nations at the Olympic Games.

Now the heroes of Beijing are headed to Moscow for the World Cup.

The boxers have been training in New Delhi and when national coach Gurbux Singh Sandhu is around, there is no respite for the squad.

Sandhu knows that after a good show at the Olympics, everyone will be keenly following the action in the ring.

"That has given a lot of boost and now added to our responsibilities and pressure on us. I think boys will have to do well and they will do it," says Sandhu.

It's been nearly four months since the boxers boys returned from Olympics but they know, that their target, just like the passing months, will keep changing.

The team's focus now is only on the World Cup that begins on the December 5 in Moscow.
"We are concentrating on the world cup and we will try our best and give our best performance," light heavy weight pugilist Dinesh Kumar says.

The four-member Indian team has all familiar faces and Akhil Kumar is the inspiration for most of the squad.

His exploits in Beijing have made him the boxer to watch out for and he will be desperate to succeed after falling desperately short of a medal at Olympic Games.

"I want people to have some expectations from me as I want to fulfil them. God must also help as I am working hard and I am confident," adds Akhil Kumar.

Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Kumar isn't a part of the squad. He is said to have an injury but Vijender is also busy with other commitments.

Their exploits in the ring captured the imagination of a nation at the Olympics, even rivalling cricket at one point. It's now up to Sandhu and his boys to perform in the face of intense scrutiny and show that the Olympics were not a fluke.

Beijing quarter-finalists Akhil and Jitender Kumar along with AL Lakra and Dinesh leave on Tuesday night for the four-day Boxing World Cup in Moscow, Russia.

Davydenko heads Chennai Open field

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 (Chennai)
World No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia will head a strong field in the $450,000 ATP Chennai Open Tennis tournament to be held here in Chennai from Jan 5-11.

Davydenko who ended the year on a high, reaching the finals of the Masters in Shanghai, is joined by World No. 13 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, who won the 2008 Beijing Olympics Gold medal in doubles partnering Roger Federer.

Also in the draw are: World No. 23 Marin Cilic (Croatia), Ivo Karlovic (Croatia, No.26), Wimbledon semi-finalist Rainer Schuettler (Germany, No.33), former Chennai Open champion Carlos Moya (Spain, No.42), and Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia, No.44) who incidentally stopped Moya from winning a hat-trick of titles in 2006.

Other well-known players include Janko Tipsarevic ( Serbia, No. 49), Marcel Granollers (Spain, No. 56), Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain, No.62) Fabio Fognini (Italy, No. 88) and Ivo Minar (Croatia, No. 97).

The Chennai Open will also see the return of Davis Cuppers Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes who will be playing with their respective partners Mark Knowles (Bahamas) and Lukas Dlouhy (Czech Republic).Giving them tough competition will be the Bryan bothers - Mike and Bob - who until recently were ranked as the World No. 1 doubles pair.

India's top two ranked players Somdev Devvarman (201) and Prakash Amritraj (203) have been given the wildcards as also Dlouhy (Czech Republic, 195).

Tendulkar felt numb, salutes security men

New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar, a resident of Mumbai, said he was unable to sleep when terrorists struck his city.

Like all Indians a disturbed Tendulkar traced all developments on the television right after India won the fifth One-Dayer in Cuttack.

He said he was saddened to see his countrymen being targeted and felt numb as the horrific images kept playing in his head. Tendulkar also saluted the security personnel who risked their lives to save the people of Mumbai.

Boycott ICL and IPL, Latif tells Pakistan players

Karachi: Strongly reacting to reports linking Mumbai terror attack to Pakistan, former skipper Rashid Latif on Monday said their cricketers should boycott the IPL and ICL even as pace legend Wasim Akram felt the sport could be a platform to dispel the growing tension between the countries.

Rashid said he was appalled by the manner in which Indian media and government functionaries had tried to implicate Pakistan in the Mumbai attacks.

"What happened in Mumbai is wrong but Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism. And it is so unfair the way they are trying to drag us into this incident," he said, adding clear message has to be sent to India that Pakistan was not prepared to accept blind accusations.

"Our players must pull out of the IPL and ICL and send a clear message to the Indians. As it is I have a feeling very soon the extremist elements in India will try to stop our sportsmen and artists from working in India," he said.

He also advised the Pakistan Cricket Board to stop pleading with the Indians to send their team to Pakistan.

"If they can't come to Pakistan then we shouldn't also go there for any cricketing activity. The security situation is the same in Pakistan and India," he said.

Rashid also said if England went ahead with their Tests in India it would show double standards on part of western countries who refuse to tour Pakistan due to security concerns.
While Rashid was fuming, Akram struck a conciliatory note.

England ready for India tour after venue change

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has put an end to the speculations over England cricket team's returning to India for the two-Test series as it has agreed to send the team to India for the Test series.

The first Test that was to be played in Ahmedabad from 11 to 15 December has been shifted at Chennai, while Mohali will now be hosting the second Test starting from 19 to 23 December.

The three-day tour match has been called off.However, ECB will be sending their security consultant for discussions with the Authorities in India before final clearance is given for the Tour.

India almost steal 2nd place in ODI championship

South Africa retains place by a fraction of a point; England lose ground in sixth position as Sri Lanka strengthens position.

Third-placed India has reduced the gap with South Africa in second position on the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table to a fraction of a ratings point following its successful ODI series against England.

With the postponement of the final two ODIs in the series, India lost the chance to go second on the table but by winning the series 5-0, the home team gained four ratings points and now sits on 119, the same number as South Africa but behind the Proteas when the points are calculated beyond the decimal point.

One more win for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men would have put them into second position but it wasn't to be and they will now have to wait until their next series for the opportunity to make further inroads.

England, on the other hand, has suffered the effects of that comprehensive series defeat by losing five ratings points and is now under pressure in sixth place from Sri Lanka, whose 5-0 series victory over Zimbabwe has put it within one point of Kevin Pietersen's team.

Despite being competitive in several of those games, Zimbabwe loses further ground to Ireland in 10th position and is now only two ratings points in front of Kenya in 12th.Australia is still on top of the ICC ODI Championship and with Test cricket set to dominate the international schedule for the next few weeks, that situation is not likely to change any time soon.

Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship (as of 1 December)Rank Team Rating

1 Australia 131

2 South Africa 119

3 India 119

4 Pakistan 114

5 New Zealand 113

6 England 108

7 Sri Lanka 107

8 West Indies 91

9 Bangladesh 47

10 Ireland 19

11 Zimbabwe 13

12 Kenya 11

We can't allow cowards to run our game: KP

Most of his teammates may have developed cold feet but England captain Kevin Pietersen said he would return to India for the Test series, provided security adviser Reg Dickason okays the tour.

Back in the comfort of his family, Pietersen said he could not sleep since terror struck Mumbai but asserted terrorism should not be allowed to play spoilsport.

"We can't allow these cowards to run our game," Pietersen wrote in Sunday's 'News of the World'."It puts it all into perspective when you see blood on the streets. But if Reg gives us the OK, then I'll be back for the two Test matches and complete the tour.

"He has been around the block and I trust his judgement 100 per cent. If he says it is safe to go back to India for the First Test in 11 days, then you can count me in," added the England captain.Pietersen, however, made it clear that he would not force any teammate to join the touring party.

"It is a brutal situation and a world tragedy. So if any of the lads decide they don't want to return, then that's fine with me they have got wives and kids to think about," he said.Horrified by what he saw on television, Pietersen said it was a close shave for the English cricketers.

"We were on the team bus coming back from Cuttack when we heard news of the horrific slaughter of innocent people in Mumbai."We were 800 miles from the attack but suddenly we felt very vulnerable, especially as we had stayed at the targeted Taj Mahal Hotel just two weeks ago," he said.

"We were due to go back there for the Second Test all our whites and blazers for the Test matches are still in there somewhere.

"...I will never forget it. I was walking down those steps only days ago to have a quick drink with a mate on his boat now they are the scene of a tragedy," Pietersen said."It could have been one or all of us being carried out in a body bag.

And when you see something like that you sense danger around every corner," he added."And when you hear that the terrorists are singling out English tourists it sends a shiver down your spine. In cricket-mad India who could be more high profile than the England team?"And who could be more high profile than their captain? It makes my blood run cold," Pietersen said.

The South African-born cricketer said as England captain, he was ready to face any opposition but certainly not terrorists."You don't expect to have to deal with tragedies like this when you take on the captaincy...Field placing, bowling changes, declarations and bad light you expect not cold-blooded murder," he said.

Emotionally drained by the episode, Pietersen plans to attend Sunday's Chelsea vs Arsenal match to take his mind off the incident.

"Before we decide what we are going to do I'm going to take time out to go to Stamford Bridge to cheer on my mate Frank Lampard today."I need something to take my mind off this carnage," Pietersen said.

Talent for the game: Indians to pitch for US baseball team

New Delhi: Two Indian youngsters chasing the American baseball dream have taken an important first step when the Pittsburgh Pirates signed them up as non-draft free agents.

Left-hander Rinku Singh and Dinesh Kumar Patel pitched in front of scouts from the Pirates and other Major League organisations on November 12 before being chosen, a statement on the club website (www.pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com) said.

The players, with shoulder strength gained through their initial training to become javelin throwers, earned a US training stint in May after topping a pitching contest in India, "The Million-Dollar Arm", which offered the winner $100,000.

Singh, 20, who won that contest and Patel, 19, will now take part in the Pirates' Minor League spring training next year. Their promoters hope they can make it as professionals, saying such success would boost baseball in cricket-mad India in the same way that Yao Ming's move to the NBA created a fan base for basketball in China.

"The Pirates are committed to creatively adding talent to our organisation," Pirates senior-vice president, general manager Neal Huntington said in a statement on Monday.

"By adding these two young men, we are pleased to not only add two prospects to our system but also hope to open a pathway to an untapped market."

"We are intrigued by Patel's arm strength and Singh's frame and potential. These young men have improved a tremendous amount in their six-month exposure to baseball and we look forward to helping them continue to fulfil their potential."

The winners of the "Million Dollar Arm" contest were decided on the basis of their ability to pitch at 135 km an hour or faster for strikes.

The duo from Uttar Pradesh trained with University of Southern California pitching coach Tom House, who felt they held some promise. "I know they can pitch, but we have to teach them how to play the game," said Huntington. "It is well worth the risk.

Bindra in crosshairs as ex-manager threatens to sue

New Delhi: Shooter Abhinav Bindra has had his share of controversies since returning to India with an Olympic gold medal.

The Rifle Association president called him "ungrateful" and now his former manager has threatened to take the ace shooter to court, alleging her contract was wrongfully terminated by the Bindras.

Latika Khaneja's collage sports management has managed Abhinav Bindra for the better part of last five years. Most of that time was spent in a futile attempt to bring in sponsors.

Now that Bindra's popularity has gone up, Khaneja alleges that the family stabbed her in the back, especially as the endorsements started to flow in.

"I had initially negotiated the Samsung deal but they started behaving differently after the Gold medal," Khaneja says.When contacted the Bindra family refused to comment.

Sources tell CNN-IBN that the Bindras believe Khaneja didn’t market Abhinav well and is now trying to piggyback on his Olympic success.

Khaneja however dismisses that claim and says she is determined to drag the Bindras to court.
“I feel that a hero has to behave responsibly," Khaneja says.

Sources close to the Bindra camp say that the legal threat seems like a desperate move by Khaneja, whose contract was terminated four months ago.

Maradona may reconsider India visit after Mumbai attacks

The Mumbai terror attack has cast a shadow over Diego Maradona's two-day trip to Kolkata, even as the organisers claim the iconic Argentine football star's country visit is very much on.

Immediately after the terrorist strike at the country's commercial capital Mumbai, the 1986 World Cup hero's personal manager Sebastian De Monte got in touch with the city-based Celebrity Management Group (CMG) who are instrumental in bringing the football legend to Kolkata.

De Monte inquired about the prevailing situation in Kolkata and whether it was "safe" to travel to Kolkata at a time when terrorists were targetting foreigners, as was seen during the Mumbai attacks.

However, the CMG executive director Bhaswar Goswami assured that Maradona's visit was very much on as it was planned and there's no question mark over the trip.

"It's true that Diego's manager Sebastian enquired about the situation. He wanted to know what was happening in Mumbai and how safe is Kolkata... I said there was nothing to worry about. This (terrorism) is an internal problem, which is happening on an off in the country for the past 20 years.

"There's nothing to worry about, I assured him and he said both Maradona and Claudia (his estranged wife) have started packing for the trip," Goswami said.

So, as of now, the December 5 arrival of Maradona is very much on the cards, he added.
"Afterall, the state government is in-charge of his (Maradona's) security, what is there to worry about. Kolkata is very much safe city, with no history of terror attacks.

Moreover, Maradona had been to Israel, so I don't see any reason why he should abort touring India," Goswami said.

Just for information, Maradona is scheduled to arrive in the city on December 5 night. The next day, the Argentine legend will be felicitated in a grand way at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan (YBK) at Salt Lake in a function which is said to attract about 1.2 lakh spectators.

Currently the national coach of Argentina football team, Maradona is also scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the Indian Football School (IFS) at Maheshtala, near Kolkata and attend a clinic for the aspiring footballers in a series of programmes planned for the legend's first visit here.

Apparently, Maradona has signed and confirmed the itinerary when Goswami and CPI (M) MP Samik Lahiri called on at the Argentine's residence in Buenos Aires.

According to unofficial sources, 40 per cent of teh payment for Maradona's visit has already been made long back, while the remaining is said to be despatched by Monday.

The recent terror strike, it may be noted, cut short England's ODI seven-match series with the remaining two one-dayers in Guwahati and Delhi put off, while there is question mark over the Champions League Twenty20.

I-League: Bhaichung calls for better coverage

New Delhi: Mohun Bagan skipper Bhaichung Bhutia has called for a better coverage of the games for football players in India to be followed at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Bhaichung, alongwith Steven Dias, inaugurated the second edition of Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars ’09 where in the final stage, 16 Indian youngsters would get a chance to participate in the Arsenal International Soccer Festival.

"For the Indian players to be followed, we need a much better coverage of the games. When we play, those matches must be shown," said the veteran Indian skipper.

Incidentally, football fans in the country could only see the first half of the I-League match between Mohun Bagan and Mahindra United and were bereft of the winner scored by Bhaichung.

Mohun Bagan had a disastrous start to their I-League campaign and Bhaichung acknowledged it stating, "It was the worst start by Mohun Bagan in their entire NFL (National Football League or the now I-League) history. But credit to the players, coaches and the management for the great recovery."

The Sikkimese Sniper went on to speak on life after football and spoke of his desire to have a world-class Academy in India.

"It’s my dream project. I want to have an Academy of the highest quality but for that the minimum is 40 acres of land."

Indian terror attacks could affect cricket economy

The terror attacks in India can have serious repercussions on world cricket's economy because India generates 70 percent of the game's revenues.

England cut short their seven-match ODI series in India, leaving their next month's two-Test series in doubt. The Twenty20 Champions League has also been postponed after the Mumbai mayhem.England's decision not to play the last two one-dayers may trigger a compensation issue.

"If you look at Pakistan and Sri Lanka, they quite clearly have their own political difficulties. India has always floated just below the surface," Jonathan Ticehurst, a sports insurance expert and director of Long Reach insurers, was quoted as saying by The Times.

"I think what the last 24 hours has shown us is that, all of a sudden, India is right in the frontline when it comes to terrorism. As a consequence, the insurance market will significantly increase the premium rate they require to cover the cancellation of sporting events in India.

"The revenue of the postponed Champions League was estimated at $15 million and one Indian insurance company won the bid to insure the tournament for a meagre $30,000.

"The London market quoted $60,000 for the abandonment for the entire tournament. That shows you how they regarded the Indian risk. It isn't going to be $60,000 next year," Ticehurst said.The cancellation of the league has also burnt a hole in Australian cricket's pocket.

Western Australia and Victoria will miss out on the minimum $250,000 for competing teams, while Cricket Australia (CA) - a 25 percent stakeholder in the tournament - estimates that its losses are in the millions. The winners would have bagged a whopping $3 million.

"CA is losing quite a lot. It's millions of dollars. Again, this whole issue and all of the problems in Mumbai are bigger and greater than cricket. We fully understand that these things happen. Unfortunately that's how it is.

There are a lot of people worse off than us," CA chief executive was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.Andy Sutherden, managing director of sports marketing and sponsorship for Hill & Knowlton, said sports tourism will be hit hard.

"The loss of revenue for those staying at home will be significant. I think there will be a crisis of confidence in attending sport in this part of the world and confidence is quite a difficult thing to win back at speed," Sutherden said.

Andrew Wildblood, a senior vice-president and corporate director for India at IMG and one of the architects of the Indian Premier League (IPL), hoped that things would return to normalcy.

"It's too early to say but generally when these things happen, the world returns to normality, otherwise the world would stop. But normal now is not what normal was pre 9/11. These circumstances cannot be planned for," he said.

England's decision to return home lauded

London: England cricketers' decision to abandon the One-Day series against India and return home after the terror attack in Mumbai has been backed by the nation's cricket fraternity, which termed it a 'sensible' move.

Kevin Pietersen's men, trailing 0-5 in the seven-match ODI series, decided to return home after cancelling the remaining two matches in the wake of the devastating terror strikes in the financial capital of India.

Both the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) and its English counterpart are optimistic about England's return to India for the Test matches and in a bid to salvage the two-match series, the BCCI on Friday shifted the venue of the second Test from the terror-hit Mumbai to Chennai.

But if the English players are reluctant to travel back to India, they have an ally in former England and Wales Cricket Board Chairman Lord MacLaurin.

"It was absolutely the right decision to come home. The England cricket team are very high-profile individuals. If these fanatics are going to target people then the England cricket side could be a very big target for them," MacLaurin was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

"My own view is that I would be very, very surprised if the security people will give them the OK to go back. I don't think they should go back. I think it's sad for cricket but the safety of our players is absolutely paramount and I am sure the ECB will take the same view," he added.

Former England cricketers also backed the team management's decision to return, saying the situation in India was not safe for the players to stay back. "I'm sure they would have taken a lot of security advice.

Two one-day internationals may have been cancelled but if you look at the bigger picture there has been a devastating attack on the commercial capital of India and a lot of people have lost their lives," Solanki said.

Wicket-keeper Paul Nixon, who represents Leicestershire in county cricket and the World XI in ICL, lauded the rebel league management for calling off the World Series which was being held at Ahmedabad and said the Mumbai attack was too scary to continue playing cricket.

"Obviously the top board members of the ICL made the decision that it was getting too scary out there really for everybody's safety," Nixon said.

"It was horrific. The bombs in London . . . It's been exactly the same in India."

Arvind, Saina bow out of Hong Kong meet

India's challenge in the Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Super Series came to an end on Friday after both Arvind Bhat and Saina Nehwal bowed out in the quarter-finals.

Bhat went down to Thiland's Boonsak Ponsana 26-28, 22-20 and 14-21 while Saina lost to Chen Wang of Hong Kong 25-27, 21-14, 15-21.

Both the Indians gave a good fight to their opponents before going down in the first game and even though they managed to get back on level terms, they lost ground in the decider and bowed out of the tournament.

Needed a change, so got a new haircut: Ishant

Without his trademark long hair, Ishant Sharma was not easy to recognise on the field as India played England in the fourth one-dayer on Sunday.

Someone jokingly remarked that long hair had generated wind resistance when the quickie bowled. Or such hair had resulted in dropping a vital catch in the Test series against Australia.The 19-year-old, his hair freshly cropped, laughed off the suggestions.

"I was actually wearing a cap when I failed to take that catch," he said.The Delhi speedster said that he decided to have a hair cut as he felt it was time for a change."I felt like I needed a change...so I decided to have a hair cut," he said.

"My teammates were also ragging me and asking me to go to the barber. If my teammates are happy, it also makes me feel the same," he added

India shine bright in rain-hit tie, win series

Bangalore: Penetrative bowling by Indian seamers backed up by some superb fielding helped the hosts win the rain-curtailed fourth One-Day International against England by 19 runs and wrap-up the seven-match series 4-0 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.

After the tourists were set a target of 198 runs following the Duckworth-Lewis Method, England were bundled out for 178 for eight in 22 overs.

First to go in England chase was Ravi Bopara, who was caught brilliantly by a diving Ishant Sharma at mid-on off Munaf Patel for one with the tourists needing nine runs per over to reach the target.

In an unexpected move, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni brought in Yusuf Pathan ahead of Harbhajan Singh and England plundered the off-spinner for 17 runs with new man Owais Shah smashing two fours and one six in that over.

Shah, who chanced his arm too often, was then dropped by Gautam Gambhir at short mid-wicket off Harbhajan's first over on 29 though the off-spinner managed to get rid of Bell off the very next ball when he castled him for 12 off 15 balls.

But there was better news in store as a beauty from Ishant Sharma cleaned up England skipper Kevin Pietersen for just five runs bringing back the memories Ricky Ponting's dismissal by the pacer in Mohali during the Test series.

But England were kept in the hunt with a blazing 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Shah and Andrew Flintoff. Shah completed his half-century off just 35 balls including eight fours and one six. Flintoff was in blistering mood as he hit 15 runs off Harbhajan's third over, as the fourteen and fifteen overs yielded 26 runs in total.

Flintoff matched Shah stroke for stroke before Shah was caught by Sachin Tendulkar at short covers off Zaheer Khan during the batting power play after making a solid 72 off 48 balls with nine fours and three huge sixes.

Danger man Flintoff was then caught in the covers by Zaheer off Ishant Sharma after making 41 off just 30 balls with three fours and a six.

With the run-rate climbing all the time, the lower order batsmen tried to hit out but only succeeded in playing into India's hands as Samit Patel found out when he held out to Gambhir off Zaheer for 11 runs to reduce England to 161 for six with just two overs left.

Soon after Graeme Swann was run out for six and with time and overs running out for the visitors, Paul Collingwood was caught by Tendulkar at mid-wicket off Munaf Patel for 22 with just a ball left to get 19 runs for victory which Broad played and missed.

In the Indian innings, which was interrupted twice by rain, Virender Sehwag slammed a stroke-filled 57-balls 69 to take India to 166 for four in 22 overs in the rain-curtailed game. The Duckworth-Lewis method set England the 198-run target off 22 overs.

Sehwag, who made his intentions clear by dispatching the first ball of the game to the cover fence, was in terrific form and treated the English bowlers with disdain, slamming nine fours and three sixes before being caught by James Anderson on the long-on boundary off spinner Graeme Swann.
The dashing Delhi opener added 79 runs off 62 balls for the second wicket with Gautam Gambhir, who was dropped down to number three to accommodate Sachin Tendulkar to open the batting with Sehwag.

After the game was reduced to a 22-overs-a-side contest due to rain, India resumed play at 106-1 in 17 overs. Hence with the overs running out for the hosts, Sehwag and Gambhir went for runs. But soon both fell while trying to accelerate.

Gambhir held out to Anderson at long-on off Swann for 40, which came off 37 balls with seven hits to the fence.

Man-in-form Yuvraj Singh and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni then resorted to some lusty hitting to try and take India to a fighting total before the later was bowled by Samit Patel for nine.

Yuvraj remained not out on 25 off 11 balls with three sixes while Yusuf Pathan hit the only ball he faced off Patel for a six to post a competitive total.

The first rain interruption stopped play for two hours with the hosts on 85 for one off 14 overs.
The staff at Chinnaswamy stadium did a remarkable job to bring the ground back to playable conditions within two hours by employing four super-soppers.

The only wicket England managed before the rain interruptions was that of Tendulkar, who was bowled by Stuart Broad for 11 after adding 38 runs off 7.5 overs. Broad pegged back the highest run-getter's (in both One-Day and Tests) off stump.

Undaunted by the early departure of Tendulkar, Sehwag smashed Anderson for a boundary to bring up India's first fifty and then followed it up with a smashing six between long-on and mid-wicket.

After reaching his half-century with a couple, Sehwag unleashed a flurry of shots all round the wicket, including a four and a six off consecutive balls off Broad.

Sehwag also became the sixth Indian to cross 6000-run mark in One-Day cricket from 195 matches when he flicked Anderson for a four to move to 36 and join five other Indians, including batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Azharuddin and Yuvraj Singh.

Sehwag and Gambhir, put on 68 runs off 9.1 overs before the skies opened up for the second time after the tourists had bowled just three overs forcing the umpires to suspend the match with Sehwag on 61 and Gambhir on 30.

Chess icon Viswanathan Anand gets hero's welcome

Chennai: Chess Grand master and world champion Viswanathan Anand was welcomed at Chennai International Airport after his victory in the Championship at Bonn. It was a hero's welcome in the wee hours of Friday, November 21.

It was a sportstar returning after conquering the world and for a change, it was not a cricketer that the people were going crazy over at the international airport.

Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand is back home from Bonn, and he has brought home the title as the reigning World Chess Champion.

"It feels great to be back. The reception has been absolutely fantastic," said Vishy, as Viswanathan Anand, the Chess Grandmaster is popularly known.

The excitement was palpable and Anand's fans, chess enthusiasts of all ages, couldn't get enough of their star.

As for wife Aruna, it was yet another proud moment.

"The reception has been great and now we are hoping to get pampered. I'm sure all the pampering will start soon," said Aruna Anand, Viswanathan Anand's wife.

Anand could see hundreds of school kids carrying placards, a band playing non-stop music, a traditional south Indian welcome and thousands of fans screaming out his name.

It was a welcome Anand will remember for a long time to come.

Gavaskar hits back at Ponting, says Aussies rattled by India

New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) Sunil Gavaskar today hit back at Ricky Ponting for his "uncalled for" remarks that the former India captain was no angel in his hey-days, saying the Australian skipper's comments were an indication that his side was "rattled" to find a challenger in India.

"I think it was totally uncalled for and it is showing the world that they are rattled," Gavaskar told the CNN-IBN.

The former Indian captain said Ponting's comments also smelled of publicity gimmick.
"I think they have been a champion side and suddenly they find that they have a challenger in India. And therefore, it's not just Ponting but all the other statements that we have heard from other Australians," he said.

"...Probably (they are) trying to sell their books or whatever it is," he added.
Ponting, in his just-published 'Captain's Diary 2008', has lashed out at Gavaskar and other former players for often blaming the Australian team for on-field confrontations.

"Unfortunately, as soon as a spectator or a commentator spots one of my team chipping on opponent, they assume it is a pre-meditated attack. The most laughable aspect is when I hear former players complaining, as though they never put a toe out of line in their day.

"I still have a vivid image of Sunil Gavaskar angrily trying to take his opening partner off the MCG with him in 1981 when he was given out lbw in a Test match, but to hear him today you'd think he was positively angelic when he was the best opening batsman in the world," he wrote.

Gavaskar pointed out that Ponting would not have a clear understanding of the incident as he was just a child then.

"Ponting was just seven-year-old when MCG incident happened. He does not know the background," he said

Ganguly included on BCCI's Technical committee

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who played his last international match this November, was on Thursday nominated to the Technical Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

"Sourav Ganguly has been nominated to the Technical Committee of the BCCI," a press release from BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan said.

The BCCI technical Committee is chaired by former great Sunil Gavaskar.

The Committee members will frame rules and regulations for all the domestic and international tournaments in India. Ganguly joins the Committee as their sixth member.

Abhinav shoots with desi Insas Rifle

Olympic gold medal winner Abhinav Bindra on Tuesday had a different experience altogether shooting with different guns at the ITBP's shooting range here during a police sports meet.

"It was my first experience, a different one, shooting using an (indigenously built) Insas rifle and a .9 mm pistol. After firing from the rifle, there was this big bang," Bindra told reporters after opening the 52nd All India Police Duty Meet-Shooting hosted by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police at the its Basic Training Centre in Panchkula.

Asked if he had given tips to the shooters present at the range, the 25-year-old ace marksman quipped, "I was actually taking tips from them myself".

Bindra has been using a Walther-make air rifle for the past 10 years.

Twenty eight teams belonging to Central Police Forces and State Police Organisations, holding aloft their respective flags, gave a sterling display of their parade and honoured the ace shooter.

ITBP's Inspector General PP Singh stressed the significance of the meet, saying "it would be a precursor to future shooters who would bring glory to the country in the days to come".

Asked that the Armed Forces were facing shortage of officers, Bindra said the youth should be encouraged more to take it up as a career.

"I have great respect for the Armed forces. My grandfather was in the Army. I think we need to encourage our youth more and motivate them to join the forces as they offer a secure career full of thrill and adventure and at the same time one can serve the nation the best," Bindra said.

Asked if he had any plans to join the Territorial Army like legendary cricketer Kapil Dev had done, he said there were no such immediate plans though he added if any offer comes his way he would think over it.

On a question pertaining to his rare feat at the Olympics, he said, "I feel happy about it and it gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

"At the same time, I also feel that it (his feat) has brought about biggest change in the mindsets of sportspersons, a big psychological change. More and more sportspersons have started to think in terms of that they can do it too and achieve the best at the highest level.

The fact that it has inspired and motivated budding sportspersons, I am happy about that," he said.

Asked that many sportspersons lack support from the system despite having abundant talent, he said, "I know challenges are there, but we are improving.

"I think we need to have more accountability in our system. We will need to set goals and work towards achieving them. Even if we don't achieve them, but what is important is take a clear path and follow that and success will surely come one day," he said, adding "we also need to have support at the grassroot level to have a strong foundation laid".

To a question, Bindra, who is endorsing a leading consumer brand, said few more offers were in the pipeline and soon one would see him endorsing more brands.

Ishant fit to play in Kanpur ODI

Indian speedster Ishant Sharma, who could not take part in the first two ODIs due to injury, was declared fit to play the third ODI against England in Kanpur, scheduled to be played on November 20.

The lanky Ishant, who bagged the man-of-the-series in India's 2-0 Test series win over Australia missed the first two games against England with an ankle injury.

An MRI scan on his ankle revealed that it was just a minor sprain and it was suggested that he take a little rest.

If Ishant returns to action in Kanpur, either Munaf Patel or R P Singh will make way.England will play seven One-dayers and two Tests during their tour of India

Female athelets will need to go for gender testing

MALLESWARI SPEAKS: She thinks that such tests will harass players.

New Delhi: Weightlifting, a sport which has been tarnished by doping allegations in India might see more troubles in coming times. The Weightlifting Federation of India seems to have opened a can of worms by going in for gender testing of female athletes. They plan to make it mandatory at national level competitions.

“It is not that they are suspect. It is only to rule off the possibility of this high level of ingredients in the body being due to external stimulus," says Baldev Raj Gulati.

CNN IBN had broken the story of Santhi Soundarajan who was stripped of a medal for failing a gender test at the Doha Asiad in 2006. Only in the rarest of cases is gender testing allowed and that too after a complaint. In fact the International Olympic committee has officially stopped gender testing in 1999.

“There is no mandatory requirement so you should avoid certain delicate things rather than jumping into problems. If the rule doesn’t want it you (player) shouldn’t go for such things,” says Dr PSM Chandran.

The sports community too is up in arms at the move including the woman who is the face of Indian weightlifting.

“Something which is banned is being included deliberately. I don't understand why they are doing this. This will harass players," says Malleswari.

The Weightlifting Federations move is baffling as no athlete can be subjected to a gender test without her approval. So is it harassment or is there a deeper flaw in the system, these are some serious questions which still need to be answered.

Sachin set to return; Rohit, Raina on edge

Bangalore: With batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar all set to come back for the remaining four One-Dayers against England, the Indian selectors are likely to face a ‘problem of plenty’ especially with border-line players Yousuf Pathan and Suresh Raina doing quite well in the first two matches so far.

Former Indian stumper and chief selector Kiran More said the problem of plenty was bound to arise to accommodate a player of Sachin's caliber and it will be a tricky situation for chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth and company when they sit down at Kanpur on November 20 to pick the side for the remaining four matches in the seven-match One-Day series.

"A player of Sachin's caliber has to be accommodated, what come may. But I feel sorry for players like Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina or even Yousuf Pathan because one of them has to make way for the highest scorer in One-Day cricket (Tendulkar) to come in to the playing eleven. It will be a tricky situation for the selectors indeed," More told Cricketnext.com on Tuesday.

"Though this situation (problem of plenty) is a welcome sign for the team, the borderline players are the ones to be hit hard under the circumstances.

"Yousuf’s blistering unbeaten half century at Indore has only made matters worse for the selectors as the only way now to accommodate Sachin is by dropping Rohit Sharma, who has been a live wire on the field but has not done much with the bat so far while Raina played an important knock at Rajkot," More added.

"if Ishant, who is said to be nursing an injury, is also fit for the last four ties than things get really complicated even though Rudra Prathap Singh will be the first choice discard and Munaf Patel’s place will always be shaky in a One-Day match as the Indians tend to prefer just two seamers hoping that the spinners, including the part-timers, do the job for the team," More pointed out.

Another former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Chandrakant Pandit agreed with More even though he felt that the Indians can take the risk of dropping a bowler at this stage of the series.

"Personally I feel Zaheer (Khan) and Ishant Sharma (if fit) should be our pace aces as the spinners will have a bigger role to play in this series at least. With Viru (Virender Sehwag) and Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) picking up bag full of wickets, the selectors may consider playing just three specialist bowlers (Zaheer, Ishant and Harbhajan Singh)," Pandit said.

"Sachin is one player who can walk into any team in the world and it is unfortunate that one of the talented youngsters like Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina or Yousuf Pathan will have to be sacrificed if the team think-tank decides to play four bowlers.

"Anyway it is a welcome sign for the skipper and the team management as they will have quality players waiting in the wings. It is always better to have more than nothing at all," he added.
"This situation will also make the opposition wary and keep them guessing most of the time as they will be well aware that the replacement (for a senior player) will be as good and that they just cannot afford to relax one bit.

"However, the selectors’ job gets that much more complicated as they will be the ones to face the public wrath if something goes wrong or the preferred player fails miserably," Pandit observed.

No immediate retirement plans: Bhutia

Monday, November 17, 2008 (Gangtok)
India football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia on Monday dismissed speculations with regard to his retirement plans in the near future and said that he intends to carry on with the game as long as his body permits.

"I've no plans to retire from the game in the near future... I intend to play as long as my health and physical fitness permits," he told reporters. "I will let you people (media) know the day I decide to retire from the game," the 33-year-old national football team captain said.

Asked whether he has set any targets before hanging his boots, Bhutia, who hails from Sikkim, replied in the negative. Bhutia, though, once again raised his voice for the development of football at the grassroots level.

"There should be a structured system in place at the grassroots level throughout the country for the promotion of football. This will bring utmost satisfaction to me in the years to come," he said.

Bhutia, who was here to promote the Nike Manchester United Premier Cup for under-15 boys, said he would also seek to give something back to the game which has brought him stardom and said he would like to set up a football academy for budding talents in the north-eastern state.

"I will consider a proposal for setting up a football academy in any of the north-eastern states provided that a 40-acre land is made available by the willing state," he said.