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.

Sehwag bats for team success over individual achievements

PTI Automatic

Novak Djokovic and Janko Tipsarevic led Serbia into a Davis Cup final clash with defending champions the Czech Republic after over-turning a 2-1 deficit to beat Canada 3-2 in the semi-finals.
     Serbia, the 2010 champions, will host the November 15-17 final against the Czechs who had already made sure of victory in their semi-final on Saturday when they opened up an unassailable 3-0 lead against Argentina in Prague.
     World number one Djokovic kept Serbia alive in Belgrade yesterday by seeing off world number 11 Milos Raonic 7-6 (7/1) 6-2 6-2.
     Tipsarevic, the world number 24, then assured Serbia of a second final in four years by defeating Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (7/3) 6-2 7-6 (8/6).
     But Pospisil went down fighting, coming back from 5-2 down in the third set and saving four match points in the ensuing tiebreaker.
     "I played at my own tempo from the beginning and I knew the returns would be crucial, so I paid special attention to them," said Djokovic, who had defeated ...

Djokovic, Tipsarevic send Serbia into Czech showdown

Former Pakistan cricket greats and fans demanded a new national team captain and coach today after an embarrassing defeat against minnows Zimbabwe in the Harare Test.
     Zimbabwe, who only started playing Tests in 2011 after a six-year exile due to lack of players and facilities, pulled off an upset 24-run win against number four ranked Pakistan in the second Test yesterday, squaring the two-match series at 1-1.
     The defeat left Pakistan cricket fraternity in a shock as former players urged cricket authorities to revamp the team.
     Former captain Ramiz Raja said the Pakistan team needed a fresh captain to replace Misbah-ul Haq.
     "Misbah contributed to a change of environment and gave stability to the team but he seems to have run out of ideas, so we need someone with fresh ideas," Raja told AFP.
     The defeat could not have come at a worse time as Pakistan face number one Test team South Africa in the United Arab Emirates next month.
     Raja said every captain has a ..

Greats demand change after Harare defeat

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq said today he hoped India's decision to allow local team Faisalabad to play on Indian soil will open up more cricket opportunities between the two nations.
     Misbah will lead Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 champions Faisalabad in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League starting in the Indian town of Mohali on Tuesday after New Delhi cleared the tour.
     India had stalled all bilateral cricket with Pakistan in the wake of 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai and -- with the exception of a short tour by Pakistan late last year -- there have been no signs of full series revival amid heightened tensions between the two countries.
     But Misbah said matches between the two cricket-obsessed nations should not be halted by politics.
     "I feel cricket must go on," Misbah told AFP on phone from Harare, Zimbabwe. "Giving a Pakistani team clearance is a positive sign and I hope this will help open more doors for Indo-Pak cricket."
     Pakistan ...

Misbah elated at India opening

Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is all set to play for the first time in the shorter version before his home crowd.
     "The fans in Jharkhand can see Dhoni in T20 matches for the first time in Ranchi," Manoj Kumar, a JSCA official, said.
     Dhoni, who played an ODI here against England earlier this year, did not play T20 as CSK were not scheduled to play in Ranchi during this year's IPL.
     Dhoni will stay in Ranchi till the completion of Championship League matches of the CSK. They are slated to play against Titans on September 22 in their first match.

Dhoni set to play first T20 before home crowd

V Raghunath converted three penalty corners in the second-half to help Indian Oil Corporation beat Indian Overseas Bank 3-1 in their pool A match of the 88th All-India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament, here today.
     After V Shanmugam's 23rd minute goal put IOB ahead, India star and penalty corner specialist Raghunath came up with a fine hat-trick to enable Indian Oil, the joint winners of 2012 edition, log home full points.
     In another pool A match, Punjab National Bank notched up a hard-fought 2-1 win over fancied Bharat Petroleum. Jalwinder struck twice in 28th and 36th minute to give his side a comfortable lead only to see a late fightback by BPCL for whom Amar Aiyamma found the back of the net in the 63rd minute.
     In Pool B, SAIL, Rourkela comfortably defeated last year's joint winners Air India 5-2. Felix Baa struck in the 13th minute to put SAIL ahead but Air India struck twice through Somanna Pradhan (29th) and Sameer Dad (31st) to take a 2-1 lead at ...

IOC, PNB win in Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tourney

Yuvraj Singh, who smashed a blistering century against West Indies A, said his knock was very satisfying today as it came against a high quality West Indies attack.
     Yuvraj spoke highly of paceman Ronsford Beaton and likened him to great Caribbean bowler Curtly Ambrose.
     "I think it was a complete international attack. (Andre) Russell has played for his national side and Beaton is the future fast bowler for the West Indies. He reminds me of Curtly. Obviously Curtly was great, but I think he has lot of potential and I think it was a very good attack," he said at the post-match press conference.
     Yuvraj said hitting a hundred in the first game of the season was special.
     "I think I have worked hard in my off-season on my batting and other skills in last couple of weeks," he said.
     "Robin (Uthappa) and Mandy gave us a good start which allowed me and Yusuf (Pathan) to catch up at the end."
     Yuvraj showered praise on his private French trainer Tim Exeter for making .

Yuvraj cherishes success in first game of the season

The Delhi team's probables list bore a star-studded look with all the senior and U-19 national team players included in the 28-member list for the upcoming NKP Salve Challenger Series starting in Indore on September 26.
     The list includes Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, the two out-of-favour seniors Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, former India U-19 captain Unmukt Chand, pacer Ishant Sharma and veteran Ashish Nehra. Also there is old domestic workhorses like Rajat Bhatia and Mithun Manhas.
     Expectedly, IPL dope offender Pradeep Sangwan has not made it to the probables list. Sangwan is also recovering from a shoulder surgery.
     Dhawan and Ishant's availability depends on how far their side Sunrisers Hyderabad are able to proceed in the Champions League T20 while Gambhir might just be able to join the team in time after finishing his county engagements with Essex.
     Under newly appointed chief coach Sanjeev Sharma, the probables will start their training session at the ...

Viru, Gauti, Virat in Delhi probables list for Challengers

Talismanic Brazilian Jose Ramirez Barreto struck the winning goal in the dying moments of the game but it wasn't enough to see his team Bhawanipur FC qualify for the semifinals of the Durand Cup, here today.
     Despite a hard-fought 4-3 win over Air India, Bhawanipur bowed out of the tournament having failed to win their final group league match by a clear margin of two goals.
     Indian Navy and ONGC will be pitted against each other in the second semifinal while Kolkata giants Mohammedan Sporting Club will meet Mumbai Tigers in the first semifinal tomorrow.
     Indian Navy had played a goalless draw against Bhawanipur 0-0 and beaten Air India 2-0.
     Apart from Barreto (90+3 min), Snehasish Dutta (25th, 40th min) struck twice while Manjit Singh (78th min) found the back of the net on one occasion for Bhawanipur.
     A Sudheesh (58th, 59th min) and Jony Chand Singh (48th min) scored for Air India.
     Bhawanipur enjoyed a healthy 2-0 lead till the half time but Chand Singh ...

Heartbreak for Bhawanipur as Indian Navy reaches Durand semis

Chiragh Kumar closed the week with a two-under 70 to record his best finish in more than 22 months as he ended tied fifth at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (TPC) here today.
     Chiragh's previous two top-10s in last two years have both been achieved at the Indian Open on his home course, so a top-5 in Taipei will do a world of good for his confidence.
     Gaganjeet Bhullar, the champion here last year, dropped from overnight 22nd to tied 41st with a final round of 76 and Rahil Gangjee, too, had a disappointing finish with a round of 74 that saw him finish tied 55th.
     Thai star Thaworn Wiratchant rediscovered his best form as he won the Yeangder TPC for an unprecedented 16th Asian Tour title. The reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, whose best 2013 result prior to this week was tied 28th in May, battled to a four-under-par 68 for a 13-under-par 275 total to win by one-shot at the USD 500,000 Asian Tour event.
     Chiragh looked set for a good finish as he ...

Chiragh finishes tied 5th in Taipei, Thaworn wins title

Welcoming the opportunity to showcase his cue skills in a world class field at next month's Indian Open in Delhi, reigning Asian snooker champion Aditya Mehta said it was a dream come true to play at home in a Professional tournament.
     "I would be taking part in a professional snooker tournament for the first time in India. I never expected this to happen in my lifetime. It's a dream come true," said the Mumbai-born Mehta, who won the gold medal at the World Games in Cali.
     Mehta, who defeated China's Xiao Guo Ding to qualify for the tournament, faces the stiffest of challenges as he has 2002 world champion Peter Ebdon as his first round opponent in the 300,000 pound sterling prize fund event.
    "I am meeting a former world champion in the first round and am not looking too far ahead. But it's a short format. It is like the 100m dash and puts pressure on the higher ranked players. A good start would do wonders," said Mehta at a media conference here today.
     The other ...

Never thought this would happen in my lifetime: Mehta

After getting a green signal to compete in the Champions League Twenty20, Faisalabad Wolves cricketers arrived here today from Pakistan but were forced out of the city after it emerged that their visas were valid only for Mohali.
     According to the Punjab Cricket Association, the BCCI has taken up the issue with the Union Government to facilitate early solution to the problem.
     The team arrived here today without captain Misbah-ul-Haq after finally getting the visa to travel India. The team was earlier denied visas on the ground that the players faced a security risk in India.
     The team addressed media at their hotel before leaving for Mohali, where they had a practice session in the evening.
     After checking in at a city hotel, the Wolves were asked to shift to clubhouse of PCA stadium in Mohali. Chandigarh is a Union Territory while Mohali, which is a satellite town of the UT, falls in Punjab.
     "After their arrival in Chandigarh, when the concerned authorities ...

Wolves arrive, but visa issue force them shift to Mohali

After the blackout that marred the closing ceremony of the 53rd Inter-State Athletics Meet at the Birsa Munda Stadium here, the JSCA stadium has already ensured power backup for the CLT20 beginning here on September 22.
     "Power backup is in place for the CLT20," JSCA office-bearer Manoj Kumar said here.
     There was no power problem in all the previous international and IPL matches held in the flood-lit JSCA.
     Jharkhand Sports Minister Geetashree Oraon had to give away prizes to the winners of the Athletics Championship at the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium following over an hour of blackout on September 10 as all the generators lay defective,
     Assuring excellent arrangements for players, spectators and media during the match days, JSCA President Amitabh Chaudhary said everything is in place to host the five CLT20 matches between September 22 and 28.

JSCA puts power back-up in place for CLT20 matches

Talented shooter Shriyanka Sadangi has bagged the Ekalabya Puraskar for 2013 carrying a cash award of Rs 2 lakh for her outstanding performance in the international arena.
	Athlete Dutee Chand and weightlifter Achyutanand Sahu were adjudged as Citation winners with a cash award of Rs 50,000 each by the Ekalabya jury committee.
	The Ekalabya Purasakar instituted in 1993 by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT), charitable wing of IMFA group, leading integrated Ferro Alloys producer, is recognised as a prestigious sports award of Odisha.
	The award is given every year to young sportspersons of Odisha recognizing their outstanding performance in the preceding two years, a release from IMPaCT said today.
	Sriyanaka has a brilliant national and international track record. She has won a gold medal in a Junior International Shooting championship held in Suhl, Germany, in June 2012 and gold in the fourth Asian Air Gun Shooting championship at Kuwait in October 2011.
	Athlete Dutee ...

Shooter Shriyanka Sadangi bags Ekalabya Puraskar

The third edition of the Lusofonia Games in Goa, scheduled to begin in November 2, has run into rough weather again with the organising committee (LUGOC) grappling with the lack of entries for Sports Specific Volunteers (SSVs).
     As if the missed deadlines and shoddy state of infrastructure weren't enough, the lack of interest among the Goans to volunteer for the international multi-sport event has thrown the future of the Games into complete disarray.
     It has been learnt that out of the expected 1500 SSVs needed by the Lusofonia Games Organising Committee (LUGOC), just about 300 have been registered so far, leaving a huge gap of 1200 volunteers.
     "The secretaries of various sports associations, who have been entrusted the task to provide SSVs to LUGOC, are finding it difficult to meet the required numbers given lack of interest on the part of Goans," an official said.
     However, the lack of interest arises from the fact that volunteers themselves don't know exactly what 

Lack of volunteers adds to Lusofonia Games' woes

World number 12 Kei Nishikori banished his U.S Open demons to propel Japan back into the Davis Cup world group with a 3-2 comeback victory over Colombia on Sunday.
     Nishikori rediscovered his mojo after a shock first-round exit in the United States earlier this year, showing the kind of form which swept him to the Japan Open title a year ago as he overpowered Santiago Giraldo 6-1 6-2 6-4 to level the tie for the home team.
     Teammate Go Soeda held his nerve to beat Alejandro Falla 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-3, triggering wild celebrations in Tokyo.
     Ripping winners from all over the court, Nishikori ran Giraldo ragged as he tore through the first two sets in just 56 minutes.
     A blistering forehand down the line gave Nishikori the crucial break for 4-3 in the third and while Giraldo showed late resistance in saving four match points.
     But it proved too little too late when moments later a fizzing backhand landed on his toes and the Colombian wafted a forehand wide to set the ...

Nishikori propels Japan back into Davis world group

Instead of being at opposite ends along the Indo-Bangla border, the jawans of BSF and their Bangladeshi counterparts came face-to-face on a basketball court in Dhaka where the visiting team defeated the host.
	The match, held yesterday, was a part of confidence building measures between the two border guarding forces, an official spokesman said in a release.
	In a first, the Border Guard Bangladesh organised the match between the teams of BGB and Border Security Force (BSF) in which the latter won the match to lift the 'Maitree' (friendship) cup, the spokesman said.
	The match was witnessed by Bangladesh's Junior Home Minister Advocate Shamsul Hoque Tuku, who was the chief guest of the event.
	BSF Director General Subash Joshi is at present there leading a team of 19 officials for Director General Level Talks (DGLT) with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), which started from yesterday and will continue till September 19.

BSF beats Bangladesh border force on Basketball court

Experienced rider K Rajini Krishnan recorded his second win in round three of the MMSC-FMSCI National Motorcycle championship even as Sarath Kumar, who started on pole crashed out after a crash in the last lap, here today.
     The first race in the Honda CBR 250 category had seen a close fight between Rajini and Sarath yesterday but today Sarath Kumar was passed by Rajini at the start.
     Rajini led for the first two laps with Sarath, Sumit Lucas Toppo, Harshit Rao, A Prabhu following.
     Prabhu and Sarath took over the lead for a brief while before Rajini was back in the front. Heading into the last lap Rajini was leading, followed by Prabhu and Sarath.
     As they came out of the last corner, Prabhu and Sarath collided and crashed out of the race. Rajini held on for another win with Sumit finishing second and Harshit third.
     In the first race of the day in the TVS-Apache RTR180, Mathana Kumar took the honours with another convincing win to complete a perfect weekend.
     .

Rajini wins second race too, Sarath crashes out

India's new batting sensation Shikhar Dhawan is glad that he could fight the initial jitters and score runs early in his international career and said he would look to maintain his blistering form.
     Ever since his international debut, Dhawan has been in rollicking form as he earned Man of the Series title in Champions Trophy in England and the Delhi Dasher said he would look to play smart cricket in future.
     "Once you score big runs at the start of your international career, you get really confident because that is one part which is really tough as every player is nervous at the start of the career," said Dhawan, who was recently appointed as captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, one of the four teams in the Champions League T20 qualifiers here.
     "It's good that I started off really well and I just want to continue the same form and play smart cricket so that I could be consistent. God has been kind and things have been going on really well for me and I would like to continue ...

I want to maintain consistency: Shikhar Dhawan

Vikash Anand won his first race of the season in the MRF 1600 category and the crucial victory, coming in the final race of the calender, helped him clinch the second spot in the drivers championship as FMSCI National Racing championship concluded, here today.
     Coming into the final round, Anand had a two-point lead over 15-year-old Tarun Reddy and after today's win he ended the championship with 185 point, 19 ahead of the latter.
     Since Ashwin Sundar had already sealed the title in the penultimate round in Chennai he did not raced in this round at the Buddh International Circuit.
     N Leelakrishnan was crowned 2013 Indian Touring Car (ITC) Champion with 2012 Champion Arjun Balu finishing in second and V Ramnarayan in third position in the overall championship standings.
     Sivaramakrishnan won the Indian Touring Car race after Leelakrishnan was given a 15 second penalty for jumping the start.
     Feroze Khan emerged winner in the Indian Junior Touring Car after ...

Vikash ends 2nd in MRF championship after win in final race

With a fortnight to go for the BCCI's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Chennai on September 29, under pressure BCCI president-in-exile N Srinivasan has already started working on his bid to retain the hotseat for one more season.
     According to reliable sources in the BCCI, Srinivasan had called all the BCCI affiliated units from southern part to assemble in Chennai to pledge their support for the Tamil Nadu strongman ahead of the AGM, but the absence of Goa Cricket Association (GCA) and Andhra CA from the meeting has led to speculations about an election being on the cards.
     "Yes, the BCCI president (Srinivasan) did call the southern units for a meeting in Chennai. But I had some work over here and couldn't attend the Chennai meeting," Goa Cricket Association president Vinod Phadke told PTI over phone today when questioned about his absence from the meeting.
     Asked whether it was about Srinivasan wanting the southern units to pledge their support for him, Phadke said, "It ..

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