East Bengal chief coach Marcos Falopa today expressed concern on the lack match practice by his side on the eve of their home leg AFC Cup quarterfinal clash against Semen Padang of Indonesia here tomorrow.
	"It's a big match. But the team did not have the kind of match practice needed for a mega match like this," the Brazilian said.
     East Bengal have played just two local league matches to start their season. Their season opener against Kalighat Milan Sangha was abandoned after they led 4-1, while they beat Police AC 4-0 in the local league.
     "We wanted to organise practice matches in countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar... I, myself, spoke to authorities in Myanmar but it could not be materialised."
     Falopa, however, said the boys were confident of a positive result against the Indonesian outfit.
     "They are all fit and are in shape. Few of our players are fresh from their campaign for the national team (in SAFF Championship), so we are confident of putting up a good .

East Bengal rue lack of match practice

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Keen to leave behind memories of a childhood, ridden with violence and uncertainty, Rubiya Sayeed dreams of becoming a successful international cricketer, who could bring glory to the nation.
     Hailing from South Kashmir Anantnag district, Rubiya idolises Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. She led her side to victory in the under-19 women tournament, organised by Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).
     She scored 48 runs and took six wickets in the final against neighbouring district of Pulwama to bag the Woman of the match award.
	Although Kashmir's first all-girl rock-band was recently forced to call it quits by a religious decree issued by the Grand Mufti (chief priest), Rubiya is unfazed.
	She is aware of the criticism women face here, especially when they enter into a domain traditionally held by men but Rubiya says he prefers to ignore that.
	"I do not pay attention to what anyone says. I just have to be focused and play my game," she said.
     Asked about her ..

Rubiya eyes glory in women cricket

The sudden withdrawal of Mumbai Tigers from the I-League starting on Saturday has hit hard players like India international Mohanraj Nallapan, who is now forced to sit out of top flight football in domestic circuit.
     Mohanraj told PTI that he had signed with Mumbai Tigers for one year with the hope that the new team will be the right platform for him to showcase his talent in the I-League.
     "I signed with Mumbai Tigers with high hopes that since it being a new team owned by a corporate house it will have some big things in store, like the best of facilities, best players etc," Mohanraj said after Mumbai Tigers lost 1-3 to Mohammedan Sporting in the Durand Cup semifinal today.
     "But who will know the club will pull out of the I-League at the last minute. The I-League schedule was announced (by the AIFF) with Mumbai Tigers in it and the club suddenly announced that it will pull out. It was unfortunate," said the 23-year-old left back from Tamil Nadu.
     Mumbai Tigers, ...

Mumbai Tigers' I-League pull-out puts Mohanraj in a fix

In a reversal of its stand, the Union Home Ministry today granted visa to players of Pakistan's T20 team Faisalabad Wolves to stay in Chandigarh, a day after they were unceremoniously asked to go to Mohali after they had checked in a hotel in Chandigarh.
     Players of the Faisalabad Wolves were yesterday asked to leave the hotel in Chandigarh after they had checked in and asked to go to Mohali because their visas were marked only for that Punjab town.
     A senior Home Ministry official told PTI that the cricketers have applied for additional visa for Chandigarh this morning and they have been granted that.
     The Pakistani team, which will play their first match in Champions League Twety20 cricket tournament tomorrow, was initially given visa only for Mohali, located in Punjab, not far away from Chandigarh.
     "We have given them visa for Mohali and Chandigarh," the official said, indicating that if the Faisalabad Wolves goes to the next round and apply for other cities, the ..

Additional Chandigarh visa for Pak T20 cricket team

Pune FC academy Under-19 Coach Gift Raikhan and Englishman Glen Johnson have become the new appointees in the senior team technical staff for the upcoming season.
     Thirty-two-year old Gift, an AFC 'C' License holder, takes over the role of Assistant Coach, while Glen will be Pune FC's first-ever goalkeeping coach.
     Both appointees will be part of Coach Mike Snoei's staff for the season ahead.
     Essex-born Glen, incidentally is the third Britisher after Stewart Hall (Coach) and Bernard McNally (Coach) with a senior team coaching assignment ever since Pune FC was incepted in 2007.
     Glen holds an NSCAA Advanced National GK Licence, an IFA Advanced National GK Licence and is a SFA GK B Licence holder.
     Glen, 27, began his professional coaching career at NASL-side Crystal Palace Baltimore (USA) in 2010. During the same period, he also worked as an assistant coach for the women's soccer team at Goucher College in Baltimore.
     The following year (2011) Glen returned to .

Pune FC add Gift and goalkeeping coach Glen to team staff

The 10th leg of the Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour will commence at the picturesque Royal Springs Golf Course here tomorrow.
     The INR 7,00,000 event to be played from September 17 to 19 will see a tough fight for the top honours in the Hero Order of Merit 2013.
     Veteran golfer Smriti Mehra, who has surprised many this year by her 'coming from behind' wins, will look forward to consolidate her position as the leader in the Hero Order of Merit 2013.
     Smriti is currently placed behind leader Neha Tripathi from Kolkata. Neha with a total earning of INR 7,49,400 in her kitty from nine appearances and four wins on the tour has an advantage of INR 74,400 over Smriti.
     Rookie Shweta Galande, fresh from her maiden win in the 9th leg, will also look forward to consolidate her position in the Hero Order of Merit 2013.
     Hero Moto Corp sponsored Bengaluru golfer Sharmila Nicollet, who was nursing an ankle injury, will miss out playing the 10th leg due to her schedule on ...

Hero women's pro golf tour moves to J&K

The Centre has approved a Rs 1,000 crore proposal submitted by Jammu and Kashmir government for development of sports infrastructure in the state, Sports Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din today said.
	"State government had submitted a sports infrastructure development proposal of Rs 1000 crore to the Centre and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been kind to approve it," Taj said while addressing a public rally in Rajouri district.
	Under the proposal, new stadiums and sports fields will be constructed across the state, the minister said, adding that development of sports infrastructure is priority of his department.
	He said the state government has made a policy under which every block in the state will be provided with both indoor and outdoor sports complexes. The idea, he said, is to make sports activity and infrastructure available all through the year.
	Many parts of the state do not have facilities to organise sports events during winter due to the harsh weather conditions, the minister .

J-K's sports development proposal gets Central nod: Minister

Under their new Brazilian coach Marcos Falopa, East Bengal will face their first real test when they take on a spirited Semen Padang of Indonesia in the first leg of the AFC Cup quarterfinals here tomorrow.
	In his first big match after taking over the reins from a hugely successful Trevor Morgan, the East Bengal head coach would be under pressure as the Brazilian would look to prove a point by warding off the Indonesian outfit.
	They may be debutants in this top-tier competition, but Padang, leaders in the ongoing Indonesian Premier League with 41 points from 16 matches, have plenty to offer against a team who are short on match practice.
	Having just started the season with two local league matches, East Bengal would look to find the rhythm with a new combination under Falopa, a factor that may go against the red-and-gold brigade.
	On the other hand, Padang players are fresh from their campaign in the Indonesian league as all eyes would be on their Liberian forward Edwar Junior ...

East Bengal wary against Semen Padang in AFC quarters

Mohammedan Sporting Club of Kolkata kept themselves in line for their second Durand Cup football tournament title as they beat Mumbai Tigers 3-1 to storm into the final here today.
     Mohammedan Sporting, who are playing in the I-League beginning on Saturday, dominated the first semi-final match as they led 2-0 at half time in front of a sizeable crowd at the Ambedkar Stadium.
     The Kolkata Club, which has a good fan following in the Old Delhi area, scored through Penn Orji (2nd minute), Collin Abranches (45+1) and Antony Soren (65th).
     For Mumbai Tigers, who recently pulled out of the I-League at the last minute, Bikash Jairu scored the lone goal in the 82nd minute.
     In the summit clash on Thursday, Mohammedan Sporting play the winner of tomorrow's second semifinal between Indian Navy and ONGC.
     Mohammedan Sporting had won their maiden Durand Cup title in 1940 here, becoming the first Indian team to win the world's third oldest football tournament which started in ...

Mohammedan Sporting in line for 2nd Durand Cup title

The golden jubilee 50th edition of the prestigious Hero Indian Open golf tournament with a prize purse of USD 1.25 million will tee off at the scenic Delhi Golf Club (DGC) from November 7 to 10.
     The choice of venue is apt as the Hero Indian Open returns to the same course where its very first edition took place.
     Pawan Munjal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp Ltd, said: "We have arrived at a landmark juncture in the history of Indian golf. The 50th edition of the tournament is testimony to the rich tradition and long lasting value that the event has built.
     "At Hero, it gives us great joy to be associated with this memorable journey. We look forward to celebrating this glorious occasion in Delhi with the entire golf fraternity including members, players and fans. Here's to some magical golf for posterity and the rise of new golfing talent in this special edition."
     Talking about the country's oldest running international sports competition .

Indian Open golf returns to Delhi for 50th edition in November

Saina Nehwal has decided to give it a miss, while Parupalli Kashyap will also skip the Japan Open due to an ankle injury and in their absence young P V Sindhu will spearhead the Indian challenge at the USD 200,000 Super Series tournament, starting here tomorrow.
     Tired after the hectic Indian Badminton League (IBL), Saina decided to take rest but Kashyap was forced to pull out at the last moment as he could not recover from his ankle injury, which he suffered during the IBL.
     "I'm not playing the Japan Open as I could not recover from the ankle injury I had suffered during the IBL," Kashyap told PTI.
     With the senior shuttlers missing in action, all eyes will be on World No 10 Sindhu, who will be playing in her first international tournament after winning the prestigious bronze medal at the World Championship in China.
     Sindhu, seeded eighth, will take on two qualifiers in the first two rounds and is likely to make it to the last eight stage without much ado.
     In ..

Saina, Kashyap miss out; Sindhu leads Indian charge in Japan

The three Indian boxers, who had alleged manipulation in the World Championships trials, have submitted their response to the showcause notices issued to them by the national federation and a decision on their fate will be taken by September 20.
     Speaking to PTI, Indian Boxing Federation President Abhishek Matoria said the trio of Arjuna awardee Dinesh Kumar (91kg), national champion Dilbag Singh (69kg) and Praveen Kumar (+91kg) have given their response to the notices.
     They had been given until September 15 to present their case.
     "We have received their responses and now the Indian Boxing Federation's disciplinary committee will meet and a decision on them will be taken by September 20 latest," Matoria said.
     The disciplinary panel, comprising IBF vice-Presidents I D Nanavati and Mukharjee Nirwan and chairman of the Ring Officials Commission Narottam Singh Rawat, had its only meeting on September 4 when it issued showcause notice.
     Sources said two of the ...

Boxers respond to showcause notice, fate to be known by Sep 20

Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi played out a fighting draw with Bai Jinshi of China, while GM Sahaj Grover lost to defending champion Alexander Ipatov of Turkey in the third round of World Junior chess championship here.
     It was an English opening by Gujrathi that did not promise much hope in the middle game even as Jinshi exchanged off pieces at regular intervals to retain the parity. The players arrived at a queen and pawns endgame where the draw was a just result after 38 moves.
     A faulty variation in the Queen's gambit declined cost Sahaj Grover dearly as he was outdone in quick time by Ipatov. Playing black, Sahaj made an error in the opening to allow a dangerous king side attack. Known for his fondness for attack, Ipatov pounced on the chance and reached a winning endgame that was easy to convert.
     The other Indian Grandmaster in the fray -- S P Sethuraman -- made amends for his draw in the previous round and outplayed Ayan Akhmetov of Kazakhstan. A sacrifice in the ...

Gujrathi held by Jinshi; Grover loses to Ipatov

Deprived of a place in the India 'A' squads, Harbhajan Singh finds himself with limited opportunities to stage a comeback, but the out-of-favour spinner is determined to make an impact in the upcoming Champions League T20 to force his way into national reckoning.
     Unlike some of the other seniors like Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan who have been drafted into the India 'A' team for the series against West Indies 'A' for their comeback trail, Harbhajan has no choice but to prove his worth in the T20 event.
    "I am always happy to play any format, be it days cricket, one dayers or T20. Whatever adjustments you make, the basic principles of success do not change. Whether it's Tests or T20s, the art of picking up wickets remains the same," Harbhajan told PTI over phone from Ahmedabad, where he is training with Mumbai Indians squad for CLT20.
     "You can think about being restrictive in T20 format, whereas you can afford to experiment in Tests. But in both formats, you need to bowl 

T20 or Tests, the art of picking wickets remains same: Bhajji

The 19th edition of the Salwan Cross Country Run will be organised on November 10 at the Army Equestrian Centre here.
     This year's edition promises to be tougher as a challenging route has been defined and more children from different areas including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and the North-East are expected to participate in the 4.5 km run.
     In an effort to promote the principles of fair play, the organisers will conduct age and dope verification tests for the participants and winners in all categories, the organisers said in a release.
     Having entered the Limca Book of Records, the focus for the organisers would be on promoting good health and fair play qualities among children.
     In an effort to reach out to everyone across the student community, the organisers have tied up with NGOs to get 1700 differently-abled children, street kids and visually impaired children to participate.
     "We want to inculcate a sense of pride and self-discovery ..

Salwan marathon to be held on Nov 10

It was double delight for Yuki Bhambri as he qualified for the singles main draw of the ATP Challenger tournament and then shocked second seeded pair of Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana in the doubles event with partner Chieh-Fu Wang, here today.
     In the third and final round of the singles qualifiers, third seeded Yuki defeated Japanese fifth seed Arata Onozawa 7-5 6-1 in one hour and 36 minutes.
     He has drawn Israeli Amir Weintraub as his first round opponent. It will be second time that Yuki will clash with Amir, having beaten him last year in Uzbekistan.
     If Yuki get past Amir, he may find world number 144 Japanese seventh seed Yuichi Sugita, to whom he has lost both his previous matches.
     Yuki will be lone Indian competing in the singles as Karunuday Singh lost his final qualifying round 2-6 1-6 to top seeded Japanese Yasutaka Uchiyama.
     In the doubles main draw of the USD 125,000 hard court tournament, Yuki and Wang created ripples by knocking out the ...

Yuki makes singles main draw, doubles quarters in Taiwan

A bat signed by players of all teams that took part in the 1985 World Championship of Cricket in Australia and belonging to the collection of former off spin great Erapalli Prasanna, fetched the highest price in an auction held here recently.
     The highest successful bid for this bat at the Osian's auction of sporting memorabilia on September 13, was Rs 4.5 lakh, said a media release here today.
     Legendary cricketer Ranjit Sinhji's autographed first edition "Jubilee Book of Cricket" achieved the highest price for a book at Rs 1.08 lakh.
     A photograph of India's first Test XI that played at Lord's in June 1932 and autographed by the country's first Test captain C K Nayudu fetched Rs 90,000.
     In the contemporary section, Harbhajan Singh's signed Test jersey which he wore during his 400th wicket was sold for Rs 2.16 lakh while V V S Laxman's signed gloves, which he wore while scoring 103 not out against Sri Lanka in a Test at Colombo, went under the hammer for Rs 1.80 ...

1985 World Championship bat fetches Rs 4.5 lakh at auction

Their confidence on high after the comprehensive win in the opener, India A would look to seal the three-match unofficial ODI series against West Indies A in the second 50-over game between the two sides at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here tomorrow.
     Skipper Yuvraj Singh stole the limelight with a breathtaking century to guide India A to a thumping 77-run win over the visitors in the opening match of the series yesterday, and come tomorrow the hosts would be looking for an encore.
     All eyes were trained on on Yuvraj yesterday after he was handed a lifeline to return to the ODI team by being named captain of the India A team. And the dashing left-hander grabbed the opportunity with both hands and staked his claim for a national berth by scoring a brutal 89-ball 123 against the hapless Caribbeans in the opening match.
     Yuvraj produced a sensational exhibition of strokeplay by hitting eight fours and seven sixes in his scintillating innings to help India raise 312 for four after .

India A eyeing an encore in second ODI against West Indies A

Still trying to find its foothold in the cricketing landscape, the Champions League Twenty20 will enter its fourth season here tomorrow with the qualifying matches during which Pakistan's domestic champions Faisalabad Wolves are likely to hog the limelight.
     A league which was born out of the hugely successful IPL, CLT20 is gradually establishing its identity but it would take some time for it to truly find a connect with the fans.
     The event will kick off with Faisalabad Wolves, led by Pakistan's Terst skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, taking on New Zealand's Otago Volts in the first qualifier tomorrow.
     This would be followed by a star-studded Sunrisers Hyderabad, led by Delhi-dasher Shikhar Dhawan, squaring off against Sri Lanka's Kandurata Maroons in the second qualifier at the PCA stadium.
     Barring Volts, the other three teams in the Qualifiers come from the sub-continent, but none among the four feels that either has any big advantage in the event.
     The top two teams ...

CLT20 starts with qualifiers, Faisalabad Wolves in spotlight

New Zealand named an experienced 15-man squad today including the return of bowling spearhead Tim Southee for the limited overs series against Bangladesh late next month.
     There is only one newcomer in the squad, 27-year-old lefthander Anton Devcich, who earned his call up after scoring 115 for New Zealand A against India A earlier this month.
     The squad includes six players from the New Zealand team to play two Tests against Bangladesh, in Chittagong and Dhaka, early in the month.
     Southee was excluded from the Test squad after undergoing ankle surgery but chief selector Bruce Edgar said he was expected to be fully fit for the limited overs matches.
     However, opening batsman Martin Guptill and spin bowler Daniel Vettori will both miss the tour because of injury.
     Limited overs squad: Brendon McCullum (captain), Corey Anderson, Anton Devcich, Grant Elliott, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Hamish 

New Zealand get Southee back for Bangladesh ODIs

Out-of-favour India opener Virender Sehwag feels that team's success is "more important" than individual feats of players.
     Sehwag, who is desperately eyeing a comeback in the national side, said he is more happy when he is able to contribute to the team's cause.
     "For me the success of the team is always important then individual performances of players," Sehwag said at the inauguration of the two synthetic pitches at the Pragati Sporting Club here yesterday.
     "I feel happy when I score a 40 or 50 and the team wins rather than when I score a double century and the team loses," he added.
     The Pragati Sporting Club is one of the country's oldest cricket clubs and has produced international cricketers like former India opener Shiv Sundar Das.
     Sehwag, who scored only 27 runs in his last two Tests against Australia at home, is hoping for a place in the Test squad which will take on West Indies in a two-Test series in November this year.

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