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Paes in final of mixed doubles, semis of men’s doubles

New York, Sept 03 :  India tennis icon Leander Paes continued his dazzling US Open doubles run on Tuesday, posting two victories to remain in the hunt for a pair of titles.

The clever 35-year-old veteran teamed with Czech Lukas Dlouhy to reach the men’s doubles semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3 victory over Sweden’s Robert Lindstedt and Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen.

A few hours later, Paes returned to the Grandstand court and booked safe passage to the mixed doubles finals, pairing with Cara Black of Zimbabwe to defeat Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman and Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-4, 6-4.

“I can’t complain,” Paes said. “I’ve been blessed. I’ve always enjoyed nice success here at the Open. I’m playing with passion. I’m motivated and it shows on court.”  An ATP player for more than 17 years, Paes has won 39 doubles titles and all four Grand Slam trophies in men’s doubles, most of them teamed with countryman Mahesh Bhupathi.

The Calcutta native still has a strong hunger for the game.

“How many people you know come to the office with shorts on?” Paes joked.

“I love this game. I started when I was very young. I’ve been doing it my whole life. For me, putting so much efforts into a sport that has given me so much is a joy.”

Paes, a 1996 Atlanta Olympic bronze medallist in singles, attributed his new-found motivation to Aiyana, his 2 1/2-year-old daughter.

“She has been my lucky charm,” he said. “With her, I have everything I want. I wanted to win before her and now I want to win for her.”

The former doubles world number one pushed aside any notion that he will retire any time soon.

“I keep playing with passion - 31 days in a row,” Paes said. “If one day, I wake up on the 32nd day and the passion is gone, it will be the end.

“But I’m not there yet.”

Change in technique put paid to Rathore’s Olympic hopes

Sheelpa Kothari

New Delhi, Sep 03 (PTI) : Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has blamed his disastrous Olympic campaign on a changed technique that he picked up from another shooter in the hope of striking gold but which ultimately spelt his doom in Beijing. “What I did wrong was that I was looking for a perfect technique in my quest for excellence,” Rathore told PTI in an interview. “I devoted my precious two years. I picked all top shooters and followed their styles. There was a shooter who performed consistently and had good results but in following him, I lost my own technique,” he said. “So, I have now learnt that their is nothing called a perfect technique but you have to develop your own technique which is perfect for you,” he said.

Rathore finished 15th in a field of 19 shooters in the double trap event at the Beijing Games. Asked if there was a difference in his preparation for the Olympic Games at Athens in 2004 and the Beijing edition, he replied in affirmative. “Yes, obviously. I worked harder for Beijing but there are many other factors responsible for failure or success,” he said before refusing to elaborate on it. “At the end of the day I am satisfied that I could not

have worked harder than this. I won’t say that I have made any sacrifices though because I loved doing all the hard work. I did not take my annual leave for the past nine years, I was constantly thinking about my goal,” he said. “If I set my mind on doing it I achieve but rest is destiny,” he added.

Rathore said in the hindsight it was good that someone other than him won the medal because that enhanced India’s reputation that the country could produce champions. “I am happy that I did not win because then I would have become a great sportsperson. Now India is being called great since it is like the country can produce champions. “The attitude of a winner is more important than winning,” he said.

Asked if Olympic Games in Athens or Beijing were the turning point of his life, Rathore said it was the 2002 Manchester Games. “There I started to learn how to win. It is not that once you win and get the medal in hand. The feeling it generates is important and you have to strive hard to keep it alive,” he said.

Australia thrash Bangladesh in second one-dayer

Darwin (Australia), Sept 03 (AFP) : Australia thrashed Bangladesh by eight wickets in their second one-day international here today, as the visitors continued their miserable run of form with the bat. The Australians took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series when they cruised to 118 for two, led by an impressive Shaun Marsh half-century, in reply to Bangladesh’s meagre tally of 117 after winning the toss. This lopsided result came after Bangladesh were dismissed for a record low 74 in a 180-run defeat on Sunday.

In Darwin, the tourists were again in trouble from the moment they arrived at the crease and lasted just 36.1 overs. Bangladesh’s decision to bat first backfired immediately when the first ball of the innings saw Tamim Iqbal caught by David Hussey from the bowling of Nathan Bracken for a golden duck, after the left-hander got an outside edge to a ball that swung away late. It set the tone for the rest of the innings, as a ruthless Australia quickly capitalised on some good early movement with the ball.

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful carried his team’s hopes but made just three before getting a thick outside edge when he attempted to drive Stuart Clark, Cameron White taking a sharp catch at first slip as the visitors slumped to 15 for three in a disastrous start.  Junaid Siddique (21), back in the team due to a finger injury to Raqibal Hasan, and Shakib Al Hasan (19) finally offered some resistance, putting on 38 for the fourth wicket, but once their partnership was broken Bangladesh slumped again to 59 for six. Dhiman Ghosh briefly lifted Bangladesh spirits when he lofted the leg-spin of White over mid-wicket for a six and four in successive balls to bring up their century, but when he went for 30, off 36 balls, his side crumbled again and the last three wickets fell for just 13 runs.

Five of the six Australian bowlers used tasting success, Mitchell Johnson leading the way with 3-17. The home side was barely troubled in reply and needed just 22.4 overs to reach the target, although Bangladesh spinner Shakib Al Hasan (2-38) impressed by picking up both wickets to fall. He trapped Shane Watson lbw for 29 before having Australian captain Michael Clarke stumped for one after an impetuous shot. Marsh continued his emergence as an international batsman and rarely looked troubled in making an unbeaten 69.

64 ‘rebel’ players yet to get dues from BCCI

New Delhi, Sept 03 (PTI) :  Another courtroom battle between the Indian Cricket League and the BCCI seems imminent with the ICL authorities deciding to take up the case of 64 ‘rebel’ cricketers who are yet to get their dues from the Board.

The ICL cricketers are yet to get their dues to the tune of Rs 1.27 crore from the BCCI on account of their appearance in Ranji, Duleep and Deodhar tournaments before they turned ‘rebel’, according to a report in Cricinfo .

The report said though non-ICL players have received their payment for the same period, ‘rebel’ cricketers are yet to get their dues.

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, however, passed the buck on the state associations.

“As far as the board is concerned, all dues for players who have played in BCCI-organised tournaments must be paid.

“But it’s up to the state associations to pay the money because they are the ones who claim money from the board to be paid to their players. The associations or the players don’t seem to have understood the situation properly,” Shah added.

ICL Executive Board Chairman Kapil Dev alleged the players were being treated like outcasts and business head Himanshu Mody said they might approach the court to get the dues cleared.

Hemang Badani, who claimed the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) owes him Rs seven lakh, was upset with the delay and said, “They have to treat us like human beings.”

“In my case, apart from the Ranji Trophy matches and one-day games before I joined the ICL, I have been denied my share of the prize money for being part of the winning Twenty20 team. I have spoken to KS Viswanathan, the TNCA secretary, but am yet to get a reply,” he said.

“Of course, they may be angry with me or disappointed because they had nurtured me from the beginning, from the age-group stage. I can understand the anger and the hurt, but not the silence. There has to be a basic decorum, some correspondence,” Badani added.

Former India wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta was also miffed with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) not paying him Rs 3.32 lakh.

“It’s something we have all worked hard for most of our lives...We know there are problems with the ICL, and we understand the state association’s position. But I am sure the CAB feels that this is unjustified,” said the former Ranji captain.

Subir Ganguly, the new treasurer of the CAB, however, blamed it on the recent change of guard.

“We (the new regime) have just taken over and it’s difficult for me to comment at this stage without studying the issue,” he said.

Kumble should pave way for Dhoni: Akram

New Delhi, Sept 03 (PTI) : Anil Kumble has rendered a yeoman service to the Indian cricket team but it’s time for the seasoned leg-spinner to quit and pass the Test captaincy to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, feels former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram.

After India coach Gary Kirsten said that Dhoni is ready for Test captaincy, Akram echoed the view and said Kumble should quit at the top of his form, passing over the Test captaincy to Dhoni.

“I respect Anil for what he has achieved. He has done enough for India and I think it’s time for him to take a bow at a time when he is still counted as one of the best,” Akram told a section of the media.

Though Kirsten said Dhoni’s anointment as Test captain should not be rushed, for Kumble was doing a fine job, Akram felt the veteran spinner should not prolong his retirement and call it quits at a time when he is still regarded among the best in the business.

“Dhoni is the man” to replace Kumble, said Akram.

Thoroughly impressed by Dhoni’s leadership qualities, Akram pointed out India’s string of good shows under the star stumper-batsman and also referred to how Dhoni remodelled himself from a hard-hitting batsman to a middle-order mainstay.

Akram in fact went on to say that Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik should take a leaf out of Dhoni’s book and learn how to lead from the front.

Bolt targets 100 record again

Brussels, Sept 03 : Usain Bolt will run the 100 metres in the fastest field ever assembled at the Van Damme Memorial on Friday, seeking to break the world record for the third time this season.

The Olympic champion will face Asafa Powell, the former record-holder who matched the second fastest 100 of all time on Tuesday, and Tyson Gay, the world champion seeking to recapture his form after a hamstring injury.

They are the three fastest men ever and have posted the 10 fastest 100 dashes ever run. Meet organiser Wilfried Meert said such a select field is unique.

“This has never happened before,” Meert said.

All eyes at the 50,000-capacity King Baudouin stadium will be on Bolt. The Jamaican won three gold medals and set three world records in Beijing last month to become the face of the Games alongside swimming great Michael Phelps.

“Usain Bolt, we all know he is on fire right now,” Gay said.

On Friday, Bolt will be chasing his 100-metre mark of 9.69 seconds, which he set while slowing across the line and showboating over the last dozen metres.

Some observers have said he could have gone below 9.6 if he had run hard all the way.

Friday’s meet gives Bolt a last chance to prove what he is really capable of. And he is in form, even after a cold and intercontinental travel from Beijing.

Yesterday in Lausanne, Switzerland, he eased up well before the finish in his 200m and still tied the fourth-best 200 of all time at 19.63 seconds, just 0.33 of his world record of 19.30 in Beijing.

Last Friday, Bolt won the 100 in 9.83 seconds in the Weltklasse meet in Zurich, his first competition since Beijing.

With the pressure of big competition challenges off, fellow-Jamaican Powell is at his very best again. Powell ran 9.72 in Lausanne, equalling the former world record Bolt set in New York City last May.

Powell’s time was a personal best by two-hundredths and was one-tenth faster than his season’s best, run in Monaco before his relative loss of form on the Olympic stage where he finished fifth.

“I’m very happy, after all that I’ve been through this year,” Powell said.

Gay, who failed to make the final in Beijing, is still slowed by a lingering hamstring injury.

“I don’t think I am as sharp right now, considering my leg, to be very, very, competitive with those guys,” he said, indicating he could still decide to skip the highly anticipated race.

If no human can stop him, Bolt’s biggest obstacle might well be the weather. Predictions call for downpours and Friday’s temperatures will peak at just 20C (68F) in the afternoon and will have cooled down considerably by the time Bolt lines up at 1830GMT.

“It will all depend on the weather and it doesn’t look too good,” Meert said. “It will be very difficult for the athletes that come out of the heat of Beijing.”

India moves up in FIFA rankings

New Delhi, Sept 03 : The 35 points gained from last month’s historic AFC Challenge Cup pushed India two places up to 151st in the latest FIFA rankings issued on Wednesday.

With 166 points to its kitty, India is just above the tiny European country of Luxembourg and is 24th among 46 Asian countries.

India had beaten Tajikistan in the AFC Challenge Cup final last month to qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup in Doha.

Among the AFC Challenge Cup participants, DPR Korea, whose second-string side lost in the the semifinals, were the worst sufferers slipping 22 places to 116th, while Tajikistan gained two places to rise to 154th.

Semifinalists Myanmar lost three places to slip to 160th, Sri Lanka unmoved at 164th while Nepal and Afghanistan gained three places each to occupy 177th and 182nd spots respectively.

Japan leads the Asian ranking at 35th, followed by Australia (39th), Iran (46th), Saudi Arabia (48th) and Korea Republic (51st).

In overall rankings, Euro champions Spain (1565 points) continued their reign at the top, more than 200 points ahead of second-placed Italy while Turkey gained three places to break into top 10.

Germany, the Netherlands, Croatia, Brazil, Argentina, Czech Republic and Portugal occupy the third to ninth spots.

8-yr-old girl swims 15 hours non-stop

Ghaziabad, Sept 03 :  An eight-year-old girl, who swam 15 hours without stopping to cover a distance of 38 km in the swimming pool of a school here Tuesday, said she aims to represent India at the London Olympics.

Saira Sirohi, a class 5 student of Dehradun Public School in Ghaziabad, entered the school pool at 5 a.m. Tuesday and swam continuously for the next 15 hours.

“If United States can produce a champion like Michael Phelps, why can’t India? I want to be part of the next Olympics at London. And before that, I want to represent my country at 2010 Commonwealth Games,” said Saira.

“I just wanted to swim and do something for my country,” Saira told this correspondent.

Saira swam 380 laps covering 38,000 metres of the 25 X 25 metres swimming pool and completed the distance in fifteen hours.

She nibbled chocolates, biscuits and nuts from the hands of her teachers, principal, mother, sisters and her closest friends. She also sipped energy drinks at intervals.

School principal Richa Sood said: “It’s a great moment for us. I will personally approach the Sports Authority of India to provide proper coaching to my student in order to prepare her for the under-14 category at Commonwealth and London Olympics.” (Agency)

Anand splits point with Ivanchuk in round-1

Bilbao (Spain), Sept 03 (PTI) : World Champion Viswanathan Anand settled for a draw with Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk after finding himself in time trouble in the first round of the Bilbao Grand Slam Final chess tournament. Anand could not make the most of the advantage of having the white pieces and faced considerable difficulties before salvaging a draw against Ivanchuk, who played the Marshall attack by sacrificing a pawn against the Indian’s Spanish opening.

Anand has an enviable record against the Marshall but he could not find a satisfactory reply to Ivanchuk’s opening play and soon drifted into a difficult position. The Indian lost back his pawn and his king was exposed to attack. The adverse turn taken by the opening served as a wake up call for Anand. He defended an inferior position with consummate ease and gave up a pawn to centralise his queen and rook. The World Champion ensured that there was excellent coordination between his major pieces, preventing Ivanchuk from making inroads into his territory. Ivanchuk conceded a draw when he was unable to make any progress against Anand’s stubborn defence. Meanwhile, Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen shot into the lead with a victory over Grandmaster Levon Aronian of Armenia. Carlsen played the symmetrical variation against the English opening and accepted a pawn sacrifice by his opponent.

Steven threatens not to play for club and country

New Delhi, Sep 03 (PTI) : Taking a strong stance against his employers Mahindra United, India midfielder Steven Dias today threatened not to play for club and country unless his demands are met by the Mumbai outfit. Steven, who along with N P Pradeep inked a deal with East Bengal despite having a two-year contract with the Mumbai club, is miffed with Mahindra United officials for rejecting the Kolkata club’s offer to negotiate as per the directive of the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) Players’ Status Committee. “The status committee had asked the clubs to resolve it (the transfer matter) amicably but Mahindra United didn’t show any kind of respect to that decision,” Steven told PTI over phone from Goa.

Steven said he had a talk with Mahindra United President Alan Durante and would be meeting him in a day or two. “If he wants me to stay then I will ask him to increase my salary. If he refuses, I will rather spend one year at home and not play for club and country,” he said. The status committee in a meeting on August 28 had urged the officials of both clubs to start negotiations and reach a decision by September 7. In case the clubs fail to resolve the matter amicably, both players would have to turn out for Mahindra United, the committee has ruled. Steven, who has been with Mahindra United for four seasons, said he battled pain in his right ankle and still played for the country in the AFC Challenge Cup.

SLC demands $1 million from PCB for tri-series in SA

Karachi, Sept 03 (PTI) : The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has demanded $1 million from Pakistan to send its team for the unscheduled One-Day series in South Africa.

Pakistan is trying to organise a tri-series with Sri Lanka in South Africa to make up for the postponement of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan which was to be held from September 12.

Sources said Pakistan had offered a fee of $300,000 to the cash strapped Sri Lankan Board to take part in the tri-series but it had asked for $1 million.

“The interesting thing is that even the Pakistan Board is close to a financial crunch and not in a position to shell out one million dollars for this one series,” one source said.

Sources also say that PCB is doing all what it takes to make the series happen.

“Pakistan is now trying to first rope in sponsors and broadcasters for the series and have asked them to up their prices to meet the Sri Lankan’s demand,” the source said.

However, it is not only the monetary hurdles but the internal administrative problems which the PCB is countering in orgainsing the series.

“The fact that the Pakistan board is presently operating without a Chairman has not helped matters,” the source said adding “obviously before committing such a huge amount to the Sri Lankans the board officials have to get the approval of the international cricket committee and the governing body members.”