A sports administrator who helped Qatar send its first female athletes to the Olympics received the IOC's top award for women in sports on Monday.
	Ahlam Salem Mubarak Al Mana was awarded the annual World Trophy today for her work as president of the Qatar Women's Sport Committee.
	The International Olympic Committee called her "a pioneer for women's rights in Qatar" and said she "has played an active role in popularizing sports among schoolgirls" in the Gulf country.
	The IOC said Al Mana also played an "integral role" in the participation of four Qatari female athletes at last year's London Olympics, the first time Qatar sent women athletes to the games.
	"Concerned about the lack of coaches in Qatar, she took an active role in promoting teachers from different schools into coaching positions and appointed overseas coaches for various sports teams in the country," the IOC said.
	Women from five continents also received awards for promoting gender equality.

Qatari wins IOC's top award for women in sports

PTI Automatic

Andy Murray took another step closer to ending Britain's agonising 77-year wait for a men's Wimbledon champion today as Jerzy Janowicz and Lukasz Kubot guaranteed Poland a semi-final place.
	British second seed Murray survived a second set wobble to carve out a 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 win over Russian 20th seed Mikhail Youzhny to reach the quarter-finals.
	Murray, the runner-up to Roger Federer in 2012, will face Spain's Fernando Verdasco for a place in the semi-finals.
	The Scot has an 8-1 winning record over unseeded Verdasco, a former top-10 player.
	Murray had to battle back from 2-5 down in the second set to quell the threat posed by Youzhny, who needed treatment on a shoulder injury after one game of the third set.
	Murray put in an impressive serving performance, firing 15 aces and hitting 45 winners past the experienced Russian.
	"It was a tough match, the first couple of sets especially. He also had a few chances at the beginning of the third set as well but once I got ahead in ..

Tennis: Murray into last-eight as Poles double up

India had a decent outing at the Wimbledon with Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi progressing to the quarterfinals of the men's doubles event with their respective partners even as Sania Mirza crashed out of the women's doubles competition, here today.
     Bopanna and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France stunned the third seeded pair of Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares to breeze into the men's doubles quarter-finals, while Bhupathi and Austrian Julian Knowle defeated Canadian combination of Jesse Levine and Vasek Pospisil.
     The 14th seeded pair of Bopanna and Edouard shocked the fancied Austrian-Brazilian pair 6-4 4-6 6-7 (5) 6-2 in two hours and 17 minutes.
     Eight seeded pair of Bhupathi and Knowle also had to play a four setter to get the better of unseeded Levine and Pospisil 6-2 6-4 3-6 6-4 in two hours and five minutes.
     While Bopanna and his new partner Edouard will now play sixth seeds Robert Lindstedt of Sweden and Daniel Nestor of Canada in the quarterfinals, Bhupathi 

Bopanna, Bhupathi in QFs; Sania crashes out of women's doubles

Batsman Marlon Samuels wants to relive the glory days of West Indies cricket, whey they would beat the other teams black and blue, and confidently says the current team's performance is only going to head north.
     "Right now we demand a lot of respect in the world (as) our cricket is going back on top. The great thing about West Indies cricket is that we are competing and winning games, not like back when we were losing games," the right-handed batsman was quoted as saying by 'Jamaica Observer'.
     Samuels was the pivot around which the West Indies triumphed in the T20 World Cup final on a balmy October evening in Colombo last year. He made a mockery of Lasith Malinga and Co to almost singlehandedly guide the team to the title.
     Samuels, 32, who was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year for an outstanding 2012 season, noted that the fans' support is helping the West Indies.
     "The fans are coming back and that is motivating us to want to win more cricket ...

West Indies cricket going back to top, says Samuels

Approaching her 18th birthday, a "more aggressive" P V Sindhu has her eyes trained on the upcoming World Championships, though she says defence is something that needs fine-tuning.
     "My sytle of play is more aggressive now though I am working on my defence," Sindhu said.
     "I am looking forward to doing well in the Championship," said the shuttler from Hyderabad who is just one shy of breaking into the top-10 world rankings for the first time in her career.
     The World Championships is slated to be held in Guangzhou, China from August 5 to 11.
     Sindhu, who will be turning a year older on July 5, said she missed a couple of tournaments this year in order to give her injured knee time to heal.
     "I missed two tournaments (Thailand and Indonesia) due to my knee injury. I don't want to aggravate it just to get fit for the prestigious World Championship," she said during the PSPB awards ceremony here today.
     Sindhu had won the Malaysian Open and reached the semifinals .

'Aggressive' Sindhu targets World Championships

Out of the national fold for more than a year, fast bowler Praveen Kumar has set his eyes on the 2013-14 domestic season to make a comeback to the Indian team.
     "I am fit. I have fully recovered from my tennis elbow. I am bowling well these days. I am now eying a comeback to the Indian team by putting up a consistent performance in the domestic circuit," said Praveen at the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board awards here today.
     Praveen, who missed the 2011 World Cup, had fruitful tours of West Indies and England in 2011, but then missed the tour of Australia due to a injury.
     He played in the Commonwealth Bank series, the 2012 Asia Cup and the this year's IPL, but due to a dip in form he has not played any international cricket since then.
     Praveen also lauded Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led young Indian team for winning the just-concluded ICC Champions Trophy.
     "It was good to see young Indian players taking up responsibility in the Champions Trophy. It was good that we ...

Praveen eyeing India comeback through domestic season

Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the second successive year on Monday while Jerzy Janowicz and Lukasz Kubot set-up an all-Polish showdown for a place in the last four.
     Ferrer fired 53 winners in his 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, 6-1 win over Croatia's unseeded Ivan Dodig and goes on to tackle either Argentine eighth seed Juan Martin del Potro or Andreas Seppi, the 23rd seeded Italian.
     The 31-year-old Ferrer, who was defeated in the French Open final by compatriot Rafael Nadal last month, will be playing in his seventh consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final.
     Janowicz, the 24th seed, defeated 31-year-old Jurgen Melzer, who was hoping to become the first Austrian man to reach the last eight.
     The 22-year-old Janowicz's 3-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win was based on 16 aces and 34 winners as he reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
     He was joined in the last eight just moments later when 31-year-old Kubot, the lowest-ranked .

Ferrer into last-eight, Poland in double joy

Chinese sixth seed Li Na raced into the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-0 demolition of Italian 11th seed Roberta Vinci on Monday.
     In contrast to her topsy-turvy two previous matches, which both went to three sets, the 2011 French Open champion took just 55 minutes to get past her fourth round opponent.
     In reaching the last eight, Li has matched her Wimbledon best, having made the quarter-finals in 2006 and 2010.
     The 31-year-old will face either Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska or Bulgarian world number 72 Tsvetana Pironkova on Tuesday for a place in the semi-finals.
     Li hit 26 winners to Vinci's eight, and her serving was far more reliable than the Italian's on the 2,000-seater Court 3.
     Vinci, on a career-high world ranking of 11, won the Katowice tournament earlier this year, beating Petra Kvitova in the final.
     Making the last 16 matched her previous Wimbledon best, achieved last year.
     However, the 30-year-old has never beaten Li in all 

China's Li Na races into Wimbledon quarter-finals

Hockey India League advisory board member Arun Jaitley says the franchise-based event, which was launched only this year, has "the potential to become a global brand".
     Jaitley complimented all the participating teams and franchises of HIL for successfully and prefessionally organising the inaugural season of the league.
     "Hero HIL has the potential of becoming an international global brand and is on the road to achieve it," Jaitley said today at the fifth franchise workshop of HIL at a city hotel here.
     "With the introduction of Hero HIL, we see that fans and audience are watching and engaged in the sport. In the last 2-3 years, hockey is on the road to recovery," added the senior BJP leader.
     Jaitley further said that the inaugural season of HIL was free from any controversy and played with good integrity, which was a result of the strong administration.
     In the workshop, which was attended by representatives from each of the franchises, HIL orgainsers made ...

HIL has the potential to become a global brand: Jaitley

Batting legend Clive Lloyd says West Indies have enough arsenal in their armour to outplay sub-continent giants India and Sri Lanka in the ongoing ODI tri-series in the Caribbean.
     Lloyd though expressed confidence in the home team's ability to win the tri-series, said the Caribbean bowlers need to show more consistency.
     "I strongly believe we have a very good and balanced team, but the guys have got to play to the best of their abilities; the bowling's a little weak, they need to work and try different bowlers," Lloyd was quoted as saying by the Caribbean Media Corporation in Toronto where he was part of a Guyana delegation celebrating the country's 47th Independence anniversary.
     "Kemar Roach is an excellent bowler and he should be the one to look at, while I think they should try Guyanese fast bowler Ronsford Beaton; he is very impressive.
     "I am confident they (West Indies) will do well against Sri Lanka and India in the Caribbean," the 68-year-old Lloyd added.
   

West Indies can do well against India, SL in tri-series: Lloyd

West Indies' opening batsman Johnson Charles says he played his natural game during his match-winning knock, which helped the hosts clinch a one-wicket victory over Champions Trophy winner India in the second game of the Tri-Nation ODI series here.
     "I felt nice and relaxed at the crease. I was told to go out and play my natural game and that is what I did. In the last game I had no rhythm but this game I came out with a bit more intent and I knew exactly where I wanted to score. I played to my strengths and played shots according to the fields set by India," he said.
     The southpaw was named Man of the Match for his knock of 97 off 100 balls that included eight fours and four sixes.
     Charles narrowly missed out on what would have been a well-deserved century. However, he led the recovery with skipper Darren Bravo, adding 116 after the home side had lost three quick wickets at the top of the order.
     "When you get out for 97 it is always going to be a disappointing ...

I played my natural game: Charles

Rohan Bopanna and Edouard Roger-Vasselin toppled third seeded pair of Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares to breeze into the men's doubles quarter-finals of the Wimbledon championships, here today.
     The 14th seed Indo-French pair shocked the third seed Austrian-Brazilian combination 6-4 4-6 6-7 (5) 6-2 in two hours and 17 minutes.
     They will now fight it out with sixth seeds Robert Lindstedt of Sweden and Daniel Nestor of Canada for a place in the semifinals.
     Bopanna and his partner saved five of the six break chances they faced while converted three of 12.
     The Indian and his new partner fired 18 aces to to six of their rivals.
     Bopanna will take field one more time today as he plays mixed doubles second round with Chinese partner Jie Zheng against Robert Farah of Columbia and Darija Jurak of Croatia.
     Mahesh Bhupathi and his partner Julian Knowle are also featuring in today's pre-quarterfinals. The eight seeded Indo-Austrian pair is clashing with Canadians Jesse 

Bopanna-Edouard shock third seeds in Wimbledon

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who did not keep wickets against the West Indies during the team's tri-nation series opener in Jamaica yesterday after sustaining a hamstring injury while batting, is to be examined by the doctors before deciding future course of action.
     "Dhoni is not feeling good. He is going to be examined. He has a hamstring issue," a source in the BCCI said here.
     Dhoni handed over the wicket keeping duties to teammate Dinesh Karthik in their opening match last night, which was won by the West Indies by one wicket at Sabina Park, Kingston.
     India are to take on Sri Lanka tomorrow at the same ground and the source said that the selectors would take a call on the matter once his injury is assessed.
     "The selectors will decide once the report is finalised. He won't be asked to return yet. One match is over and only three or four games (if India make the final) remain," he said.

Dhoni is not feeling good, says BCCI source

The five-member ICC sub-committee in all likelihood will review whether certain clauses incorporated in Mohammed Amir's five-year ban for indulging in spot-fixing can be relaxed in order to allow the talented paceman opportunity to use PCB's training facilities.
     "The ICC, during the annual conference week, constituted a five-member committee that will review and recommend amendments to the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, and on recommendation from the PCB, will also provide its suggestions to the ICC board on the ban related to Mohammad Amir," a PCB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo.
     The ICC is unwilling to the reveal the names of those in the sub-committee.
     Regardless of the recommendation from the committee, Amir will not be able to play any kind of club, domestic, or international cricket and will not train with the national team.
     The only significant allowance that could be made is that he regain access to the training facilities offered by the PCB.
     According to ...

ICC to decide on Amir using PCB's training facilities

The ouster of scam-tainted Suresh Kalmadi from Asian Athletics Association (AAA) today evoked mixed response from the Indian sporting fraternity with a few welcoming the verdict of the election while some others feel that country will lose its grip on the association.
     Legendary Milkha Singh advised Kalmadi to refrain from sports administration and focus on his political career.
     "Suresh Kalmadi should have left sports administration after the CWG scandal and he should not have contested that AAA elections. Everybody knows his role in the CWG scam. My advice to him is that forget sports now and concentrated on your politics," Milkha told PTI.
     "What has he done for Indian athletics? He does not know ABC of any sport. What do you expect from such person for the development of athletics?" Milkha fumed.
     While 'Flying Sikh' welcomed the end of Kalmadi era, another great of yesteryears, hurdler Gurbachan Singh Randhawa felt bad about Kalmadi being defeated in the ...

Mixed reactions from sporting fratrenity over Kalmadi ouster

Shiv Kapur will try and earn a berth for the Open Championships as he tees up at the Local Regional qualifiers at Dunbar even as his celebrated compatriot Jeev Milkha Singh failed in his attempt at Sunningdale.
     Kapur, who has had mixed luck this season after losing his card last season, has won the Challenge Tour event in Gujarat and also finished 10th at the Lyoness Open on main European Tour this year.
     Kapur had played at the Open once in 2006, when he came through International Final Qualifier for Asia.
     Earlier, Jeev failed in an attempt to qualify for the British Open at Sunningdale. Jeev carded 69 and 71 in the two-round qualifier and was placed tied 21st. He was two shots behind the last qualifier.
     American in-form player Brooks Koepka, who has won three European Challenge Tour events this season to earn a promotion to European Tour, posted a 36-hole total of 5-under 134 to win the British Open qualifier at Sunningdale Golf Club.
     He was among the nine ...

Kapur to try and qualify for British Open, Jeev fails

India's stand-in skipper Virat Kohli has said he was forced to keep an attacking field against the West Indies as he needed wickets to defend a modest score of 230 at Sabina Park here.
     Kohli was asked to lead the side after regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni suffered from cramps while batting and the 24-year-old said it was a good experience.
     "I have captained in the IPL but that's a Twenty20 game," Kohli said.
     "This was totally unexpected. It was more thinking on the feet. It was a good experience for me.
     "I had to keep attacking fields throughout the game because we needed wickets," he added.
     Chasing 230, West Indies rode on Johnson Charles' 97 to win the match with 14 balls to spare and Kohli heaped praise on the young batsman.
     "He is someone who's done well for (West Indies). It's a good thing for them. It's good to see a young player from West Indies coming through and play the match-winning knock. We were putting pressure on him and he really ...

I'd to keep attacking fields as we needed wickets: Kohli

It was not only the Indian cricket board but few other boards too expressed reservations on implementing the much-debated Decision Review System (DRS) uniformly in all matches during the annual conference of International Cricket Council in London, sources said today.
     "Not only India, but other countries too (objected to its compulsory implementation) because it is not foolproof and there is a financial issue (related to it)," BCCI sources said.
     The ICC conference concluded on Saturday.
     According to the sources, the cost involved in the implementing the DRS is USD 15,000-16,000 per day and the broadcast right holders are not willing to bear this extra cost.
     As such, it will be the countries involved in bilateral series who would continue to take a call on whether to have DRS or not, the sources added.
     The BCCI has steadfastly refused to have DRS in any series involving Indian team barring events organised by the International Cricket Council like the World ...

Other cricket boards too objected to DRS, say BCCI sources

Dahlan Jumaan Al-Hamad, the newly-elected President of the Asian Athletics Association, today emphasised that the competition and development programs of the federation need to be reviewed and strategic marketing was required to attract corporate sponsors.
     Al-Hamad ousted India's scam-tainted Suresh Kalmadi in today's vote with a 20-18 verdict and said he will carry forward the work done by the Indian administrator.
     "We have to take the flag from him (Kalmadi) and continue our movement. We cannot say he didn't do anything for the federation, he did for the federation. I think our objective is to continue and promote the sports," Al-Hamad told reporters after the second and last day of the continental body's two-day Congress here.
     "We believe in sports and sports is a vehicle for our new generation. We have to raise the sports up so that we can put our children in the right way," he said.
     Asked about a roadmap, Al-Hamad said, "There should be a roadmap, not just for 

Al-Hamad to focus on strategic planning, marketing

Seemingly unfazed at being ousted from the Asian Athletics Association, scam-tainted Suresh Kalmadi today said losing the Presidential re-election bid to Qatar's Dahlan Jumaan Al-Hamad has actually given him a chance to work at the "grassroots" level.
     "I have no issues today and I congratulate Mr Al-Hamad for being elected as President. I am rather relieved that I will be able to work at the grassroots level in athletics," Kalmadi said after losing the vote during the ongoing AAA Congress here.
     Kalmadi was presented a plaque by IAAF President Lamine Diack at the Congress here.
     The loss ended the veteran administrator's 13-year reign at the helm. Kalmadi, who was jailed and later released on bail for his alleged role in the Commonwealth Games scam, lost 18-20 in the presidential elections held on the second and final day of the AAA Congress at a five-star hotel.
     All the 45 member countries of the AAA voted through secret ballot in the presence of international ...

I have no issues with today's loss: Kalmadi

Press Trust of India

Scam-tainted Suresh Kalmadi was today ousted as the President of the Asian Athletics Association after he lost his re-election bid to Qatar's powerful rival Dahlan Jumaan Al-Hamad in a tight contest, bringing an end to the veteran administrator's 13-year reign at the helm.
     Kalmadi, who was jailed and later released on bail for his alleged role in the Commonwealth Games scam, lost 18-20 in the presidential elections held on the second and final day of the AAA Congress at a five-star hotel.
     All the 45 member countries of the AAA voted through secret ballot in the presence of international parent body IAAF chief Lamine Diack. There were seven invalid votes. Each country has one vote in the election.
     Kalmadi, a former Indian Olympic Association President, will also lose his membership of the IAAF Council which he has been holding since 2001 as he is no longer an area representative from the continental body.
     Today's defeat also marked the end of 69-year-old Congress ...

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