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 ...

Armstrong returns Olympic bronze medal

PTI Automatic

A 12-year-old Indian rollerskating fanatic and a skateboarding goat were among the record-breakers who made it into the 2014 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, released today.
     Schoolboy Rohan Kokane, from the western Indian city of Belgaum, won his place in the famous book as the Lowest Limbo Skater, rollerskating beneath a height of just 25 centimetres (10 inches) over a distance of 10 metres (33 feet).
     The 12-year-old, the only member of his family who skates, said he hoped his place in the Guinness World Records would "bring great prestige to my country".
     A Puerto Rican chihuahua called Milly was honoured as the world's smallest dog, coming in at just 9.65 centimetres tall, while Happie the American goat skateboarded her way to glory by gliding 36 metres in 25 seconds.
     A German woman, Julia Plecher, was listed as the fastest person to run 100 metres in high heels -- crossing the line in just 14.531 seconds.
     Six times bigger than a normal ...

Rollerskating Indian schoolboy among new Guinness records

Three late wickets gave Pakistan renewed hope after Zimbabwe played themselves into a strong position on the third day of the second Test against Pakistan at Harare Sports Club, here today.
     A five-wicket haul by Brian Vitori and a century stand between Tino Mawoyo and Hamilton Masakadza put Zimbabwe on top before both partners and nightwatchman Tinashe Panyangara fell in the last three overs of the day.
     Zimbabwe were 121 for four at the close, an overall lead of 185 on a wearing pitch which has made stroke play difficult for batsmen of both sides.
     Left-arm fast bowler Vitori took five for 61 as Pakistan collapsed to 230 all out, losing their last six wickets for 19 runs and giving Zimbabwe a first innings lead of 64.
     Stand-in opening batsman Prosper Utseya was caught at midwicket off Rahat Ali for five when Zimbabwe batted again with regular opener Vusi Sibanda feeling ill.
     But Mawoyo and Masakadza added 104 for the second wicket with some of the most ...

Late strikes give Pakistan hope in Zimbabwe

The 2012 Duke of Edinburgh Cup winner, David D'Souza took the lead on Day One of the Toyota Karnataka Golf Festival in the 0-5 category, scoring a nett score of 37.
     The score was calculated under the Modified Stableford Format.
     D'Souza edged past TATA Steel Haryana Open Winner and 2011 Junior Golfer of the Year Saqib Ahmed by a single point.
     Jyonko Hashayi and Amit Jaipuria ended the day at 37 points in the 21-24 category, with Amit Jaipuria scoring 12 points in the back nine.
     While every winner in each of the five categories (0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-24) walked away with a trophy and a Callaway Hybrid, the winning team of Amit Japuria and Balasabrunyam R, who carded a joint score of 79, won a couple of vouchers each for 3 Nights and 4 Days at The Serai in Karnataka.
     With pleasant city weather providing the perfect setting, and close to 400 golfers yet to tee off, KGA will play host to some more rounds of golf over the next three days as part of the ...

D'Souza takes lead on Day One of Toyota K'taka Golf Festival

Nitten Kirrtane took a sweet revenge beating Vinod Sridhar of Tamil Nadu 7-5 7-5 to enter the men's singles semi-finals of the DS Max AITA prize-money tennis tournament at the KSLTA stadium, here today.
     The Maharashtra veteran had lost to Sridhar in the last year's final and the victory, which came after a two-hour tussle, was highly satisfying for Kirrtane.
     "It feels too good to beat Sridhar, but by no means, it was easy," said Kirrtane, who proved that he is still a player to reckon with despite being in his late 30s.
     Kirrtane raced to a 4-1 lead in the first set, before Sridhar pulled back to level at 4-all and forged ahead 5-4 with two set points in hand.
     Kirrtane clawed his way back to level at 5-all and held on to win the set with a decisive break.
     In the second set, it was Sridhar who had the advantage and took a 2-0 lead, before the wily Kirrtane struck back to level the score, which were tied till 5 all, before Kirrtne came up with two good games to ..

Kirtanne takes sweat revenge

In a major embarrassment, India have dropped a whopping 10 places to 155th spot in the latest FIFA rankings, issued today.
     The FIFA rankings added salt to India's wounds, a day after the country failed to defend its SAFF Cup title, losing 0-2 to Afghanistan in Kathmandu.
     Wim Kovermans-coached India have 143 points in its kitty in the updated list.
     By virtue of the lone international title, war-torn Afghanistan have climbed up seven places to the 132nd position.
     Current World champion Spain continue to lead the FIFA rankings ahead of second-placed Argentina who have jumped two places. Germany have dropped a rung to the third spot, while Italy are placed fourth.

India drop 10 places to 155th spot in FIFA rankings

Left-arm fast bowler Brian Vitori took his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket today, as Zimbabwe secured a 64-run first innings lead over Pakistan on the third day of the second Test at Harare Sports Club.
     Vitori took five for 61 as Pakistan collapsed to 230 all out, losing their last six wickets for 19 runs.
     Zimbabwe were 30 for one in their second innings at tea, an overall lead of 94.
     Pakistan were well-placed to overhaul Zimbabwe's total of 294 until Asad Shafiq was fifth man out shortly before lunch, bowled by Tendai Chatara with the total on 211.
     The match swung dramatically in Zimbabwe's favour after lunch when Younis Khan, the mainstay of their innings, clipped Tinashe Panyangara to mid-wicket after making a patient 77 off 223 balls with nine fours.
     Abdur Rehman was leg before wicket to Panyangara off the next ball and Vitori ripped out the last three batsmen to give Zimbabwe an important lead on a cracked pitch on which batsmen have struggled to ..

Vitori takes five as Zimbabwe lead

Out of action for the past three months, Indian hockey colts will finally get to play at competitive level in the upcoming Sultan of Johor Cup, and chief coach Gregg Clark said it will give him an accurate idea about his wards ahead of the Junior World Cup.
     The Junior World Cup is to be held here in December.
     The Indian junior men's hockey team last played competitive matches on their tour of Europe in early June but after that they have been training only in camps under the watchful eyes of Clark and coach Baljit Singh Saini.
     But Clark said the six-nation tournament in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, featuring top teams like Korea, Pakistan, England and Argentina besides India, will provide an "indication" of his wards' progress ahead of the all-important Junior World Cup to be held here from December 6-15.
     "It's nice to be finally going for a tournament. We have been in training camp for a couple of months now. I am happy with the way things have gone in the camp. But ...

Johor Cup will give us an accurate idea where we stand: Clark

A livid Sports Ministry today asked SAI to recover the money spent on the athletes' airfare from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for the embarrassment caused to the country after 17 over-aged sportspersons were barred from the Nanjing Asian Youth Games.
     The Ministry acted swiftly on the report submitted by the Sports Authority of India Director General Jiji Thomson, who has squarely blamed the AFI for the shocking incident.
     "We have told SAI that the amount must be recovered from the AFI. If they fail to return us the amount, we will not grant them any further advances in future," Sports Secretary P K Deb told PTI.
     The government had spent around Rs 10 lakh for the airfare of the disqualified athletes, who returned home from China after being declared disqualified to take part in the competition.
     Asked whether any action has been proposed by SAI against the AFI, Deb replied in negative.
     "We have not decided to take any action against the AFI or ban any 

Recover money spent on over-aged athletes: Ministry tells SAI

Young left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh today told the Cricket Board that he personally had no knowledge as to whether his three Rajasthan Royals' teammates, implicated in the IPL spot-fixing scandal, had any intention to commit the alleged offences.
     In a reply to the show cause issued to him by BCCI on September 4, Singh denied that he failed to report about this to the BCCI or its designated anti-corruption unit headed by Ravi Sawani, as required under the IPL Code of Conduct.
     The two-member disciplinary committee of BCCI is slated to meet in Delhi tomorrow to hear Harmeet, and the three accused players -- S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan.
     Singh assured BCCI that he would appear personally, but also requested that his lawyer may be allowed to be with him at the deposition before the committee, comprising Arun Jaitley and Niranjan Shah.
     Harmeet, through his lawyer Ashok Paranjpe, further said that the one-man probe commissioner appointed by BCCI - Sawani .

Had no knowledge of Sreesanth's, others' intentions: Harmeet

National football chief coach Wim Koevermans' role has come in for a sharp criticsm as India lost their stronghold in the SAFF Championshp after being beaten by Afghanistan in the final.
     Olympian P K Banerjee, under whose regime as manager and technical director India had won the title in 2005, today said the Dutchman's should come under scrutiny after yesterday's defeat.
     Taking a dig at the foreign coach, the former India captain told PTI: "He's been around for more than a year and is paid handsome salary. His role should come under scrutiny by the experts panel."
     Asked whether Koevermans should be replaced, Banerjee said: "Why should I give an opinion on somebody who's appointed by the federation. The AIFF should look into it."
     Dismayed at India's show, Banerjee said: "I stopped watching after India conceded a goal before going down to minnows Nepal. The performance really hurts."
     "During our time (2005) when (Syed) Nayeemuddin was the coach and (Bhaichung) .

Wim role should come under scrutiny: PK

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has hailed the historic victory of Afghanistan's national team in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship in Kathmandu.
     Afghanistan shocked defending champions India 2-0 to clinch their maiden international silverware.
     "I would like to congratulate the Afghan football family and the fans for this tremendous achievement. I feel this victory will prove to be an inspiration to millions of Afghans around the world," Shaikh Salman said.
     He also said that Afghanistan should now be considered serious title contenders for the AFC Challenge Cup to be played in Maldives next year. The winners of this competition will get an automatic spot in the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015.
     "Afghanistan's success in South Asia has also served a caution to 2014 AFC Challenge Cup title aspirants. They have showed their mettle at the regional level and I think they would be one of the favourites in Maldives.
     "Afghanistan ..

AFC President hails Afghan victory

Sumeet Nath and Inderjeet Singh of Delhi are set to leave for London, ready to withstand cold, wet playing conditions at next week's World finals of the annual global charity golf event, The Duke of Edinburgh Cup.
     The first round of the 36-hole tournament will be played at the famed Moor Park Golf Club and the second round will be held at Mill Ride Golf Club in Windsor near London.
     Nath and Singh, with 38 and 40 stableford points respectively, won the India qualifying tournament of the prestigious Oris Duke of Edinburgh Cup - India at new Unitech Golf Club in Noida last month with 90 contestants taking part over two days.
     Architect Sumeet Nath said, "I was happy to learn that the DOE Cup is a mission to help youth across the world via several charities. I am delighted to be part of such a prestigious event and looking forward to a strong performance against the other countries at the World Finals at Windsor Castle."
     Inderjeet Singh said, "It will be nice to compete 

Indians ready to shine at Duke of Edinburgh Cup Golf

Famed Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram said today he hoped Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar would play his final Test farewell against Pakistan in Kolkata.
     World record run-getter Tendulkar, 40, is set to achieve the unique record of playing his 200th Test later this year against the West Indies, who have agreed to tour India.
     Speculation is rife that Tendulkar might retire from all cricket after that or sometime early next year.
     Tendulkar, regarded as one of the best batsmen to play the game, has so far scored 15,837 runs with 51 hundreds in 198 Tests and 18,426 in 463 one-days with 49 centuries -- all world records.
     But Akram, who played in Tendulkar's debut Test in Karachi in 1989, said Tendulkar's farewell Test should be against Pakistan.
     "I have created an ideal scenario for his farewell Test: India playing Pakistan at Eden Gardens, Kolkata with a passionate crowd and both nations at a standstill," Akram told AFP.
     "It could be the best farewell .

Akram hopes for Tendulkar's last Test against Pakistan

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) today announced that the national cricket team's head coach Graham Ford will be released of his duties after his contract expires in January next year.
     "Graham Ford has intimated that he would like to be released from his duties at the end of his contract due to his family commitments", SLC release said.
     The SLC was intending to hold further talks with Ford, who last month was quoted as saying that he would wait until January 2014 to make a decision on his future with Sri Lanka.
     There have been rumours that Ford will leave his Sri Lankan job to take reins with the English county team Surrey.
     He had previously coached Kent in 2007.
     Ford took over as the coach of the Sri Lankan team after Tom Moody left the position in 2011.

Ford not to extend his contract as SL cricket team coach

Legendary Pakistan squash player Jahangir Khan vowed today to keep fighting for a place for his sport in the Olympics despite the failed bid to join the 2020 Tokyo Games.
     The International Olympic Committee voted day to put wrestling back on the roster. Squash trailed in third place, winning 22 votes out of 95 cast, behind 49 for wrestling and 24 for baseball/softball.
     Khan, who set a record of 10 British open titles in 1991, said he would not be deterred from fighting hard for squash.
     "I have been very passionate about squash's inclusion in the Olympics, so the decision is not only surprising but also shocking," Khan told AFP.
     "But we will not lose hope and will continue the fight."
     Khan, who won six world titles and had three stints as president of the World Squash Federation, said his sport had come the closest yet to being inducted into the Olympics.
     It has been a disappointment for squash fans. In 2005 the sport topped the vote but failed to get the .

Jahangir says Olympic fight to go on

A spirited peformance from Sikkim United and Mohammedan Sporting Club help them register victories in their respective quarterfinal league round matches of the 126th Durand Cup Football tournament, here today.
     Riding on two goals from Adelaja S, Sikkim United beat Assam Regiment Centre 3-1 after coming from behind in the first encounter at the Ambedkar Stadium.
     In the next game, Mohammedan Sporting too came out from an early set back to trounce Army Green 4-2.
     S Adelaja (40th and 59th) and MD Lepcha (89th) scored for the Sikkim team after TS Workham Anal (19th) gave lead to the Assam side.
     Playing in the Durand Cup for the first time since 2006, star-studded Mohammedan Sporting rode on twin strikes from Tolgay Ozbey (27th and 36th) and a goal each from Collin Abranches (61st) and Penn Irechukww (90th).
     For Army Green, Sanaton Singh (5th) and Subrata Sarkar (52nd) found the net.
    The winners of the group qualify for the semifinals.

Sikkim United, Mohammedan Sporting win in Durand Cup

Chiragh Kumar, coming off a long off-season following struggles with injuries and form, opened the Yeangder Tournament Players Championships with a fine four-under 68 that gave him a share of third place at the end of the first round here today.
     Chiragh, a teammate of Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri at the 2006 Asian Games, when they won the team silver, closed the round with a satisfying eagle on the 18th after three birdies and a bogey on the front-nine.
     Chiragh lived up to the adage 'beware the sick golfer' when he battled flu to card a round of 68 that was highlighted by an eagle-three on the 18th hole.
     Rahil Gangjee (70) was tied 10th, while the rest of the Indians had modest to disappointing rounds. Lahiri carded an even par 72 to be tied 29th, while defending champion Bhullar and Abhinav Lohan shot one-over 73 each to be tied 46th.
     Abhijit Chadha (74) was tied 59th, while Himmat Rai and Ajeetesh Sandhu with rounds of 75 each were tied 71st.
     Bhullar 

Unwell Chiragh tied third after first round in Taipei

Angered over a French newspaper linking the nuclear crisis in Fukushima to the 2020 Summer Olympics here, the Japanese government plans to lodge a protest with France.
	Satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine ran an article yesterday with two cartoons, one of which showed a sumo bout near a crippled nuclear power plant between a wrestler with three arms and another with three legs, with a reporter saying, "Marvellous! Thanks to Fukushima, sumo has been included among Olympic events."
	"The report was inappropriate. It is extremely regrettable," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference. He said the protest will be lodged with the weekly paper Le Canard Enchaine through the Japanese Embassy in France, Kyodo news agency reported.
	Those cartoons could "hurt the feelings of those affected by the disasters and convey misunderstanding about the toxic water problem" to the public, Suga said, adding that Japan's Foreign Ministry will work to prevent further such ...

Japan voices anger French Fukushima cartoons

For over two decades, Sachin Tendulkar has been one of the most coveted 'brands' in India, but as the maestro gears up for his historic 200th Test match, it seems that 'Brand Sachin' is ready to evolve beyond the realms of cricket.
     "Sachin Tendulkar's brand has transcended beyond the cricket field. It is a brand that has more than enough credibility in the collective consciousness of the Indian public. Therefore, I believe, that you can't pinpoint on one particular event (200th Test match) for celebration. Each of Sachin's achievements has been unique in itself," World Sport Group (WSG) Senior Vice-President and Country Head Harish Krishnamachar told PTI today.
     WSG has been managing Tendulkar since 2006, after his contract with World Tel group ended.
     Asked about Tendulkar's brand value, Krishnamachar said that most of senior batsmen's sponsors have long-term contracts with him.
     "Just like us, the commitment that Sachin has had with his sponsors has been long term. .

'Brand Tendulkar' has evolved beyond cricket: WSG India chief

Free from his dismantling duties on the cricket field right now, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni turned his energies towards disassembling the first bike that he acquired as he enjoyed a rare break from the hectic international schedule.
     In a series of tweets, Dhoni shared with his over two lakh followers, photographs of the first bike that he bought -- a Yamaha Rajdoot and the how he dismantled the two-wheeler.
     "...I don't know who will assemble it but it was fun taking it apart," Dhoni tweeted accompanied by pictures of the bike and then its dismantled parts.
     Dhoni has a fetish for bikes and has over a dozen of them besides 10 high-end cars. He bought his first bike for Rs 4,500 and plans to restore it.
     "I think my plan of action is to restore the 1st bike tht I bought for rs4500, ...Its in a very bad shape," he had tweeted last month.
     He also owns a two-wheeler racing team - Mahi Racing Team which competes in the World Superbike Championship.
     Dhoni 

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