Cracking the whip on corrupt players, the BCCI today slapped life bans on Indian Test pacer S Sreesanth and spinner Ankeet Chavan for being involved in the IPL spot-fixing scam while handing out lesser punishments to some others in the scandal which rocked the Twenty20 league this year.
     Amit Singh, a former Rajasthan Royals player, was handed a five-year ban while another RR cricketer Siddharth Trivedi got away with a lighter one-year suspension after the BCCI disciplinary committee met here to discuss anti-corruption chief Ravi Sawani's report on the scam.
     "After considering the evidence on record and hearing each of the Players in person, the Disciplinary Committee has passed the following order...Mr Amit Singh is banned for a period of five years from playing any representative Cricket, or in any way being associated with the activities of the BCCI or its affiliates," BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.
     "Mr. Siddarth Trivedi is banned for a period of one 

Life ban for Sreesanth, Chavan; Harmeet let off in IPL scandal

PTI Automatic

FMSCI is conducting the national bike and car racing championships together for the first time as the Buddh International Circuit is bracing up for an exciting race weekend, here.
     FMSCI President Vicky Chandhok said the idea to host the two national events simultaneously is to "corporatise" the sport more.
     "It makes it a good corporate event. Untill we do it, we will struggle to have sustenance by individuals. We have to start thinking out of the box. My job is to strengthen the foundation of the national championship," Chandhok said.
     "Lot of manufacturers are coming this weekned. Bajaj, Volkswagen, KTM will all join us. They will look at each and every driver and rider. So it is a good opportunity for them."
     Chandhok said they aim to bring international racers to the Indian championships but also admitted that it will be tough to bring masses to the circuits in South to watch national championship due to poor infrastructure.
     Chandhok said he will be happy if .

National Racing Championships comes to BIC

Eight-time world champion Pankaj Advani staved off a stiff challenge from Rupesh Shah before prevailing 3-2 in the decider to win the PSPB Snooker and Billiards Championship, here today.
     Representing ONGC, Advani was in fine form to whitewash Manan Chandra (BPCL) and Aditya Mehta (IOC) 3-0 each in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively before setting up a title clash with colleague Shah.
     Advani won in the ultimate frame of the best-of-5-final with breaks of 69 in the third frame and 63 in the decider of the match.
     A dream clash between India's top two professionals, Advani and Mehta set up what was to be a mouthwatering semis match for the fans at the Gujarat Sports Club.
     However, it was a one-sided affair as the more experienced campaigner from Bangalore, Advani prevailed with a 3-0 verdict.
     In the billiards event, Devendra Joshi of BPCL won the singles title, defeating Shah of ONGC 3-1 in the final.
     The team events will begin from today. Snooker .

Advani wins PSPB snooker and billiards championship

Their careers in danger of being finished for good, players implicated in the IPL spot-fixing scandal today deposed before the BCCI disciplinary panel which will decide their fate after deliberating on Anti Corruption chief Ravi Sawani's report which has held them guilty.
     Five cricketers -- S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, Ankeet Chavan, Harmeet Singh and Siddharth Trivedi -- deposed before the three-member disciplinary committee, headed by BCCI President N srinivasan.
     The scandal, which broke out in May, had shaken the cash-rich Twenty20 event and led to a massive churning within the Board.
     "All the disciplinary committee members were very cooperative and it went off well. I gave them my side of the story. All I have dreamt from childhood is to play for India and I will never cheat the game," Sreesanth said after appearing before the committee.
     "There was no argument with the committee, they were very cooperative. They haven't said anything about the ban. I have full ..

Tainted cricketers appear before BCCI disciplinary committee

Pakistan's bowlers kept the pressure on Zimbabwe's batsmen today, claiming three wickets on a tense fourth morning of the second Test at Harare Sports Club.
     Zimbabwe were 172 for seven in their second innings at lunch -- an overall lead of 236 -- with the home side adding just 51 runs to their overnight total of 121 for four against tight bowling on a tricky pitch.
     Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor was still at the crease, however, as his team tried to forge a total big enough to push for a series-levelling win. Taylor was unbeaten on 23 off 76 balls.
     The wickets were shared by the Pakistani bowlers. Left-arm fast bowler Rahat Ali made the first breakthrough of the day when he had Vusi Sibanda caught behind for 10.
     Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal claimed his first wicket of the innings when Malcolm Waller cut a short-pitched delivery straight to backward point, while left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan had Elton Chigumbura caught behind. Both batsmen made three.
     Richmond ..

Pakistan bowlers apply pressure on Zimbabwe

Dismissing chances of an Indo-Pak bilateral cricket series in near future, BCCI joint secretary Anurag Thakur has said it is not possible to resume sporting ties until the situation at the borders normalise.
     "Everyone wants to see India-Pakistan cricket matches but our soldiers are getting killed on the border. Resumption of bilateral cricket is not possible until Pakistan army and ISI stop their activities. No game is above national security," Thakur told PTI Bhasha in an interview.
     On Indian Premier League spot-fixing scandal, Thakur said tough laws were needed to make cricket fixing and betting free.
     "IPL has given so much to Indian cricket but it is also true that spot-fixing scandal has affected its image. Players conduct will play a major role to bring that lost trust back. Anyone who is found guilty should be given such stringent punishment that it should become an example for future generation of players," the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) ...

Cricket with Pak impossible in current circumstances: Thakur

India's U-16 boys basketball team will undergo a training-cum-preparation camp in Dungguan, China from Sep 15-22 and will compete against various Chinese clubs there.
     The team is scheduled to participate in the upcoming third FIBA Asia Championship in Tehran from September 25 to October 4.
     They are currently undergoing their second training camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Gandhinagar.
     The list of probables is: Mahipal Singh (Rajasthan), Akhilesh Kumar (Rajasthan), Yogesh Kanderiya (Rajasthan), Prabmnoor Singh (Punjab), Rahul Mehla (Punjab), Jaipal Singh (Punjab), Ashish Briggs (Madhya Pradesh), Vishal Kumar Gupta (Delhi), Sunil (Delhi), Mithun Das (Chattisgarh), Erash Hooda (Karnataka), Arjun Pandit (Delhi).

India U-16 basketball team to train in China

Indian eves started their campaign at the 17th Asian Senior Women's Volleyball Championship on a perfect note, defeating Philippines in straight sets at Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
    The Indian eves thrashed Philippines 25-22 26-24 25-12 in their first pool fixture of the tournament to be held from September 13 to 21.
     According to information received here, Tiji Raju and Anusri Ghosh excelled in blocking, while Soumya was successful in her intelligent smashes.
     Libero Priyanka was good in reception and court defence which helped setter Terin Antony to play various combination attacks. Captain Minimol was excellent in her deceptive shots.
     India will play formidable China in their next match.

India make winning start in Asian Senior Women's Volleyball

The oldest player to clinch a Grand Slam in Open era, Indian tennis ace Leander Paes today credited his former mixed doubles partner Martina Navratilova for helping him elongate his international career by adopting a "clean lifestyle".
     "Playing with Martina for many many years, I have learnt a lot. She is obviously a big inspiration for me to continue to remodel my game and stay healthy. I have also learnt how to live a clean lifestyle and be productive towards my tennis," Paes told reporters on his return after winning the men's doubles trophy at the US Open.
     Paes and Navratilova together won two Grand Slam titles, besides finishing runners-up on two other occasions.
     He became the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title on Sunday when he along with his Czech partner Radek Stepanek won the men's doubles title at the US Open.
     Enduring a tough season this year, Paes was determined to excel at the last Grand Slam of the year.
     "I had no idea that I was the first ...

Navratilova taught me healthy lifestyle: Paes

Indian eves started their campaign at the 17th Asian Senior Women's Volleyball Championship on a perfect note, defeating Phillipines in straight sets at Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
    The Indian eves thrashed Phillipines 25-22 26-24 25-12 in their first pool fixture of the tournament to be held from September 13 to 21.
     According to information received here, Tiji Raju and Anusri Ghosh excelled in blocking, while Soumya was successful in her intelligent smashes.
     Libero Priyanka was good in reception and court defence which helped setter Terin Antony to play various combination attacks. Captain Minimol was excellent in her deceptive shots.
     India will play formidable China in their next match.

India make winning start in Asian Senior Woemen's Volleyball

Pakistan's domestic T20 champions, Faisalabad Wolves have been issued visas to tour India to participate in the qualifying round of the Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament to begin later this month.
     "The visa has already been issued. The passports would be handed over as and when they come to collect it at the Indian Embassy in Diplomatic Enclave," an official source told PTI here.
     The Diplomatic Enclave here is a heavily guarded premises and one can enter only after numerous permissions and security checks.
     The team was earlier denied visas on the ground that they faced a security risk in India.
     It was feared that that if the Wolves made their way up in the tournament, they would be playing at different cities across India and hence security could have been a problem.
     "As a matter of abundance precaution and caution in terms of safety and security, the government did not give green signal for the cricket team's visit," government sources had said in .

India issues visa to Faisalabad Wolves

The Sportstar Trophy under-19 tournament, considered as selection trials to pick the Mumbai colts side for the upcoming Cricket Board-conducted age-limit tournaments, is to commence on September 17 here.
     The tournament, to be played on a round robin basis among four teams, is in its 28th year and going strong, said N Parthasarathy, assistant vice president (west) of "The Hindu" group of publications, who organises the annual tournament under the aegis of Mumbai Cricket Association, at a media conference last night.
    "Sachin Tendulkar was the man of the tournament in its inaugural year (1987)," informed Parthasarathy.
    The members of the four squads - Vijay Merchant XI, Vijay Manjrekar XI, Dattu Phadkar XI and Khandu Rangnekar XI - will be picked by MCA's junior selection panel headed by former India stumper Chandrakant Pandit.
    With the grand Ganpati immersion scheduled in the city on September 18, the first game in the tournament - between Merchant XI and Manjrekar XI ..

Sportstar Trophy MCA U-19 trials from Tuesday

India's Under-16 boys basketball team will undergo a training-cum-preparatory camp in Dungguan, China from September 15 to 22 ahead of the third FIBA Asia Championship.
     During the tour, the Indian colts will play against various Chinese Club teams, a statement from the Basketball Federation of India said.
     The Under-16 team is scheduled to take part in the third FIBA Asia Championship in Tehran, Iran from September 25 to October 4 and are currently undergoing their second training camp at SAI, NSWC Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
     Head coach Tritesh Guha along with coach Raghavendra Singh Gaur will be leading the Indian contingent to China under the guidance of Senior National men's team head head coach Scott Flemming.

India's U-16 basketball team to train in China

World football's greatest prize, the FIFA World Cup Trophy will tour India for the second time when the city of joy, Kolkata hosts it from December 22-24.
     The Coca-Cola Company in partnership with FIFA and the All India Football Association (AIFF) will be working together to bring the real and the coveted FIFA World Cup Trophy to India for the second time, the first time being early 2010.
     The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola will take an unprecedented journey around the world in anticipation of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
     This will allow thousands of football fans in Kolkata to see the real solid-gold trophy in person. The trophy will travel to 88 countries around the globe over a nine month period. The arrival of the trophy in India also coincides with the celebration of 20 years of Coca-Cola's presence in the country.
     "We are thrilled to once again bring the FIFA World Cup Trophy to India and what better venue than the city of football lovers - ...

FIFA World Cup Trophy to tour India in December

Indian golfers Jeev Milkha Singh and SSP Chowrasia made modest starts at the KLM Open, turning in identical one-over 71s in the opening round here.
     Both Jeev and Chowrasia shot one-over 71 each to be just outside the projected cut line. They will need better rounds to ensure action over the weekend.
     Jeev had three birdies against four bogeys, while Chowrasia had five birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey on par-five 12th.
     Meanwhile, Miguel Angel Jimenez continued his excellent recent form to take a one shot lead after the opening round. The 49 year old Spaniard, the European Tour's oldest winner after victory in Hong Kong last year, carded a six-under 64 at Kennemer.
     Having broken his leg skiing over the winter, the former Ryder Cup star has made a remarkable recovery and came into the event on the back of top-five finishes at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and Omega European Masters, as well as being 13th and 29th in the year's two final Majors - The Open ...

Disappointing start for Jeev and Chowrasia as Jimenez leads

Beleaguered BCCI President N Srinivasan, who was forced to step aside due to the IPL spot-fixing scandal, has arrived here to attend the Board's Disciplinary Committee meeting to deliberate on the fate of the cricketers implicated in the scandal today.
     Srinivasan is part of the committee, which also comprises Arun Jaitley and Niranjan Shah. Both Jaitley and Shah are Board vice-Presidents.
     The committee will deliberate on BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit chief Ravi Sawani's report on the scam that shamed the Twenty20 league.
     The one-man Sawani panel investigated allegations that the three players conceded a pre-determined number of runs per over in exchange for money during the IPL this year.
     The players, who also served jail time after being arrested by the Delhi Police, are Test pacer S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan. Sawani has reportedly held the trio guilty in his investigative report
     All three of them played for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL but ...

Srinivasan arrives to attend BCCI disciplinary panel meet

A silver medal in the recent Asia Cup has virtually assured India a place in next year's World Cup and the team's High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans feels the erstwhile champions of the game will be a force to reckon with in the 2016 Olympics.
     India lost to defending champions South Korea 2-3 in a hard-fought contest in the final of the Asia Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia recently but despite the defeat, the Sardar Singh-led side has virtually booked its ticket to next year's World Cup.
     India will now just have to wait till November for the official confirmation from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) which will come only after the conclusion of the Oceania Cup.
     "We will have to wait for New Zealand or Australia to win the Oceania Cup. Normally, one of these two teams win the Oceania Cup. It is very unlikely that a team like Samoa or Papua New Guinea will win beat Australia or New Zealand. So considering that we are happy that we have more or less qualified for the 

India will be a strong contender in 2016 Olympics: Oltmans

World Snooker Games gold medallist Aditya Mehta today said he was looking forward to his clash against former world champion Peter Ebdon in the Indian Open beginning October 14 in New Delhi.
     "Ebdon is one of the legends of the game. We know how capable he is and how skillful he is. Still, there is a month to go for the tournament. I will prepare to the best of my ability and hope for the best," said Mehta, who is in city to take part in the 10th inter-unit Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) billiards and snooker championship.
     Mehta became the first Indian to win the World Games title in July this year after comfortably defeating his higher-ranked Chinese opponent and pre-tournament favourite, Liang Wenbo, in the final in Columbia.
     He is expected to run into eight-time world champion Pankaj Advani in the quarterfinals of the Indian Open -- a World Professional Ranking Snooker tournament, which is the first professional snooker tournament to be held in India -- as ...

Looking forward to playing world champion Peter Ebdon: Mehta

Desperate for regular cricket clashes with India, the PCB is hoping to convince the BCCI to host a tri-series later this year when the officials from the two Boards come face to face during an Asian Cricket Council meeting in Chennai tomorrow.
     Reliable sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board told PTI that Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad will not only attend a meeting of the ACC but also hold discussions with BCCI officials.
     "There is a strong chance that the BCCI might propose to have a tri-series sometime in December in India with Pakistan and Sri Lanka and the PCB is ready to accept this invitation," one source said.
     He said even if the tri-series led to some rescheduling of Pakistan's home series against Sri Lanka in the UAE in December-January, the PCB and Sri Lanka Cricket would work out a joint solution.
     "The PCB has got feelers from India that it is contemplating having the tri-series after having decided to curtail its tour to South Africa late in the ...

PCB hoping for tri-series invite in India

Andrew Strauss believes Kevin Pietersen can act as a "mentor" to an inexperienced England one-day side despite his own sometimes difficult relationship with the star batsman.
     Pietersen was briefly cast into the international wilderness last year after being accused of sending derogatory text messages about then England captain Strauss to South Africa players.
     England lost that Test series to the Proteas and Strauss, who'd been struggling for runs, promptly retired from all senior cricket -- a decision he insisted had nothing to do with the fall-out from the controversy sparked by Pietersen, the man he succeeded as England skipper.
     Pietersen, however, was soon back in the England fold and now finds himself the senior player in a one-day squad where his fellow recent Ashes-winners Alastair Cook, now the regular captain, Ian Bell, James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann have all been rested ahead of the return Test series in Australia starting in November.
     ...

Strauss backs Pietersen as England 'mentor'

Lance Armstrong has returned his Olympic bronze cycling medal, the latest fallout from his confession to using performance-enhancing drugs.
	Armstrong won the medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The International Olympic Committee in January vacated the medal Armstrong won in the road time trial. Armstrong tweeted yesterday that he gave it back and a US Olympic Committee spokesman released a statement confirming its return.
	Armstrong's tweet included a photo of the medal and its blue ribbon along with the message: "The 2000 Bronze is back in possession of @usolympics and will be in Switzerland asap." Armstrong declined further comment.
	The IOC has said it will not reallocate Armstrong's bronze medal, just as cycling's ruling body decided not to declare any winners for the Tour de France titles once held by the American. Spanish rider Abraham Olano Manzano, who finished fourth in Sydney, will not be upgraded and the bronze medal will be left vacant in Olympic records.
	Armstrong ...

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