Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar today said that wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has "done enough" in the two practice matches to earn his place in the playing XI against South Africa in the Champions Trophy in Cardiff tomorrow.
     "He (Dinesh Karthik) has to play tomorrow. He has rescued India twice in the practice matches. He has been in good form and has done enough to make his place in the side," Gavaskar said.
     Despite Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay failing to impress in the games against Sri Lanka and Australia, Gavaskar felt India should still go with regular openers against a strong South African bowling line-up.
     "I don't think India would want to unsettle their opening pair. They might have struggled in the practice matches but still they would require regular openers in seaming English conditions," Gavaskar said.
     "Openers will be crucial for the team. India will looking for a solid start from their openers. A good start will make things easier for the 

Karthik should play against SA in CT tomorrow: Gavaskar

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Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni reckons that the newly introduced ODI rules will bring about a "change in the approach" among most of the teams as batsmen may not go after the bowling in the initial overs.
     "Most of the teams, I think, they'll have a bit of change in their approach. They'll try to keep their wickets intact in the first 10 (overs) as the new ball might do a bit," Dhoni told reporters on the eve of India's openiung group league game of the Champions Trophy against South Africa.
     "With the introduction of the new laws, the two new balls and also the fact that you have the one less fielder inside the oval, which means even if you have a wicket in hand, you can really exploit the conditions and get a lot of runs."
     Having bundled out the Aussies for a paltry 65 in the warm-up game, Dhoni was all praise for his bowlers.
	"I think the new ball performance in the last game (vs Australia) was really good. There was not much swing for them, but there was really .

With new rules, teams will change their approach: Dhoni

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni continued to maintain a stoic silence on the IPL spot-fixing scandal and also showed no willingness to give his version in the 'conflict of interest' controversy over him having stakes in a sports management company which handles him.
     Asked if there are any distraction going into the Champions Trophy in the wake of recent controversies surrounding Indian cricket and the captain himself, Dhoni smartly dodged the query.
     "I think these are all the stuff that we're not even thinking about or does not even cross our minds. What we are really looking forward to is the challenge," Dhoni said.
     "This is the first time we'll be playing under the new set of rules outside India, and we need to adapt quickly and see how our boys are reacting... So that's what we are looking forward to," he added.
     Dhoni has come under sharp attack from some former cricketers for his alleged conflict of interest for having stakes in Rhiti Sports, which handles .

Dhoni continues to keep mum on recent controversies

Veteran goalkeeper Sandip Nandy today signed a one-year deal with Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan after he was released by I-League winners Churchill Brothers of Goa.
    The 38-year-old Nandy, who returned to Kolkata after a gap of one year, had a brilliant I-League season with Churchill which earned him a recall to India team in the international friendly against Palestine in February.
     "We are extremely pleased with the signing of Sandip Nandy and thank Libero Sports India which facilitated the transfer. I am confident Sandip will play a vital role for the team next season, as he did in 1997 when Mohun Bagan won the National Football League and we look forward to him joining us," Mohun Bagan Football Secretary Uttam Saha said.
     Player management firm Libero Sports facilitated the deal.
     Arvind Narayan, Libero Sports Partner and Nandy's FIFA Licensed player agent, said, "Sandip is one of the best goalkeepers in India at the moment and will be a great addition to Mohun Bagan. .

Sandip Nandy joins Mohun Bagan

Services Sports Control Board (SSCB), Hockey Jharkhand and Hockey Odisha won their respective league round matches in contrasting styles today at the 3rd Hockey India Senior Men National Championship.
     In a group E match, SSCB notched up their third win in three matches, outplaying Sports Authority of India 6-1.
     Hockey Jharkhand scored a resounding 12-2 win over Bengal Hockey Association with Divakar Ram scoring a hat trick, while Hockey Odisha edged out Comptroller & Auditor General 3-2 in a close encounter.
     Jharkhand and Odisha will take on each other tomorrow for a place in the last eight.
     In Group A, Association of Indian universities received a walkover against Hockey Arunachal.
     Tomorrows Fixture:
     Pimpri Chinchwad Ground: Group A - Hockey Punjab V/S Hockey Delhi 7.00AM; Group C - Hockey Karnataka V/S Hockey Bihar 8.30AM; Group E - Hockey Himachal Pradesh V/S Comptroller & Auditor General 2.30PM and Hockey Jharkhand V/S Hockey Odisha 4.00PM.
   ...

SSCB, Jharkhand, Odisha notch up victories

In what could lead to a face-off with the All India Football Federation, 14 I-League clubs today "unanimously" decided not to release players for an IPL-style tournament planned early next year by the AIFF and its marketing and commercial partner IMG-Reliance.
     "It was unanimously decided that no club will release on loan or otherwise any player for the IMG-Reliance tournament and will not take any IMG-Reliance contracted players on loan or otherwise," said a statement of the I-League clubs' umbrella body -- Indian Professional Football Clubs Association (IPFCA) -- after a meeting here.
     Thirteen of the clubs' representatives, with clear mandate from the club owners, were present at the meeting. Sporting Clube de Goa was not represented but it gave its "vehement support to all decisions and suggestions" taken up at the meeting, the statement added.
     In another defiant stand, the clubs said they would conduct a tournament of their own during the period when the ...

I-League clubs not to release players for IPL-style league

Haryana registered their second consecutive victory in Pool C after thrashing Mizoram 16-1 in the 3rd Hockey India Junior Men National Championship at Motilal Nehru Sports Complex, Rai in Sonepat today.
     The hosts scored through Nikhil Saroha (4, 67, 70 min), Satinder (14, 31, 33 min), Sahil (18, 45, 66 min), Sunil (18, 45, 66 min), Mohit (43, 49 min), Lovepreet (40 min), besides a own goal in 52 minute.
     For Mizoram, Lalhmangaihzuala (55 min) scored the lone goal.
     In another Pool C match, Chhattisgarh edged past Bengal 5-2.
     In Pool G, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy hammered Assam 13-2. MPHA scored through Manish Gurung (3 min), Abhay Yadav (8, 45 min), Arman Qureshi (9, 29, 38, 40, 46 min) and Mohd Nizamuddin (17, 27, 48, 53, 60 min), while Bidyut Damari (20 min) and Rajesh Boro (21 min) netted the ball for Assam.
     In the other match of Pool G, Bihar routed Uttarakhand 3-2.
     Odisha beat Jammu & Kashmir 18-0 in their Pool B league match. The goal scorers ...

Haryana thrash Mizoram 16-1

I-League clubs today refused to accept the conference style format to be introduced from next season and asked the All India Football Federation to explain the benefits of the new move before implementing it.
     A meeting of AIFF Emergency Meeting decided last week to introduce the Major League Soccer-style conference format in a bid to reduce the cost of holding the I-League, besides also changing the Federation Cup from knockout to home-and-away format.
     However, in a meeting of the Indian Professional Football Clubs Association in Mumbai today, the representatives of I-League teams refused to accept the new changes without discussion on the benefits of the new formats.
     The clubs said they have not even received official communication of the decisions taken by the AIFF Emergency Committee.
     "How can the AIFF decide on such crucial changes without discussion with the clubs. We have to be told what are the benefits of the conference style I-League and home-and-away ...

I-League clubs refuse to accept conference format

Madras High Court today ordered issue of notice to the state government and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association office-bearers, including its President N Srinivasan, on a petition which alleged irregularities in TNCA and sought appropriate action.
    When the petition by a city-based cricket club affiliated to TNCA came up for hearing, Justice K K Sasidharan ordered notice to state government officials concerned and private notice to 25 office-bearers of TNCA returnable by June 17.
    Special Pleader I S Inbadurai took notice for government.
    C S Kadiresan, Honarary General Secretary of Bharath Cricket Club, in his petition alleged there were various irregularities in the running of TNCA.
    He alleged that while the rules of Board of Control for Cricket in India did not permit its office-bearers to have any stake in cricket playing institutions, they were "amended" and "tailor made" to suit the needs of the TNCA chief, who is also the President of BCCI, and his company.
    "...The .

HC moved for action against Srinivasan, other TNCA officials

Bangladesh cricket fans, players and newspapers reacted with shock and dismay today to the tearful confession by former national captain Mohammad Ashraful that he had been involved in match-fixing.
     Ashraful, who became the country's youngest Test centurion in 2001 at the age of 17, yesterday apologised for his wrongdoing and said he had detailed his role in fixing to anti-corruption officials from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
     The news made the front pages of all Bangladesh's national newspapers with The Daily Star's front page showing a photograph of weeping Ashraful next to a headline that read "People's prince turns pauper".
     Another English daily, New Age, ran a story under the headline "The rise and fall of a superstar".
     Faruque Ahmed, the national chief selector when Ashraful was made captain in 2007, said he was the finest cricketer the country had ever produced.
     "He was the first mega-star for Bangladesh cricket and this is very shocking and .

Bangladesh dismayed by Ashraful fixing scandal

The 28-year-old apologised shortly after he was suspended by the BCB pending a full investigation by the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).

A man running a betting racket and having links with bookies active during IPL was arrested today in Varanasi along with his three aides, a senior officer said here.
    "Mahendra Singh was arrested with his aides Shiv Sharan Awasthi, Pradeep Goswami and Anil Gupta from Kotwali area and RS 14.7 lakh of betting was recovered from them," IG (law and order) R K Vishwakarma told reporters here.
    He said Mahendra, who was absconding after a case was lodged at Chowk police station on May 25, carried a reward of Rs 5,000.
    The IG said that Mahendra worked for bookie Ramesh Vyas, who was arrested by Mumbai police, in betting case.
    "He also has connections with bookies Shobhan and Kesu," he said.
    Vishwakarma said that along with two offices in Varanasi, Mahendra also has two offices in Kalkaji New Delhi and Borivali in Mumbai.
    "Following last week raids he was preparing to flee to Nepal," he said.

Man having links with bookies arrested

India's Snigdha Manda, a professional target shooter, visited Ethiopia to meet with double Olympic champion and 28-time world record holder, Haile Gebrselassie, to celebrate the success of the G4S 4teen programme.
     Launched in 2007, the G4S 4teen programme was set up to support 14 young athletes from 13 countries around the world on their journey to achieving their sporting ambitions.
     The programme, mentored by Gebrselassie, has provided athletes with funding and mentoring in sport but also on-going investment in to their education and community.
     The G4S 4teen has now come to an end following the London 2012 Olympic Games, and in May end G4S brought together the athletes and their mentor, Gebrselassie in Addis Ababa to celebrate the end of the programme and its many achievements.
     "Coaching for shooting in India is very expensive and because of the G4S 4teen programme I have been lucky enough to have Anjali Bhagwat as my trainer and from her I have learnt so much," ..

Snigdha celebrates success with mentor Haile Gebrselassie

Allrounder Vikas Dixit, who recently grabbed all ten wickets in a DDCA league match, is among the three players selected for a 25-day coaching camp in England.
     Dixit, Shivam Chauhan - both from Delhi, and Pranjal Puri from Indore will train under former Somerset cricketer Thomas 'Tom' Webley at the Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood, Hertfordshire.
     Following the eight month long Coca-Cola Cricket Cup in which 12,000 young players from 780 schools in 70 districts battled it out, three promising cricketers were picked by selectors.
     The selections were made at the end of an intensive three match series where Coca-Cola XI played against the Sri Lankan Under-16 national team from May 27 to June 3.
     The trio outperformed 12 other players from their team to earn this excellent opportunity.
     Procam International will nurture these boys both on and off the field, enabling them to make the best use of their talent.

Three cricketers to undergo camp in England

Defending champion Saina Nehwal and rising star Arundhati Pantawane advanced to the pre-quarterfinals of Thailand Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament after notching up contrasting wins in women's singles competition here today.
     World No 2 Saina didn't break much sweat as she prevailed over Shih Han Hung of Chinese Taipei 21-11 21-16 in a 29-minute match here.
     The 23-year-old from Hyderabad will next take on Febby Angguni of Indonesia in the second round tomorrow.
     Nagpur shuttler Arundhati, who returned to India's No 1 position after two years, saw off Min Ji Lee of Korea 14-21 21-9 21-15 in a 45-minute battle in the opening round.
     Arundhati will next meet the winner of fifth seed Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand and Yeni Asmarani of Indonesia.
     However, PC Thulasi suffered a 14-21 17-21 loss to third seed Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailand in another women's singles match.
     In men's singles, Sai Praneeth B, fifth seed Ajay Jayaram, HS Prannoy, eighth .

Saina, Arundhati reach pre-quarters in Thailand Open

Teenaged Aditi Ashok rode on a flawless back nine to take a share of the lead with Tvesa Malik on the first day of the Usha Karnataka Ladies and Junior girls golf here today.
     Bangalorean Aditi, who has been one of the most promising talents in women's golf in India, had a rough front nine going three-over but she recovered on the backward journey and ended the day at one-over 71 at the Bangalore Golf Club.
     Joining her in the lead was Tvesa, who shot steady 35 and 36 on the front and back nines. Both Aditi and Tvesa had two birdies each against three bogeys.
     Winner of the season's first event, the Usha Army Ladies golf and also the topper of the Order of Merit in 2012, Gurbani Singh, opened with a round of two-over 72 that included two birdies and four bogeys, three of which came between the 11th and 15th holes.
     As many as five golfers were bunched at four-over 74. They were Astha Madan, Amandeep Drall, Vrishali Sinha, Ridhima Dilawari and Vidushi Sinha.
     Amrita 

Aditi shares lead with Tvesa in Usha Karnataka Ladies golf

Sachin Tendulkar may have announced his retirement from Indian Premier League but the veteran cricketer is likely to don the Mumbai Indians jersey during the upcoming edition of Champions League T20 which will be held in India from September 17 to October 6.
     "The prospects of Sachin playing for IPL champions Mumbai Indians in the Champions League T20 is bright," a senior IPL official told PTI today.
     "Since the tournament will be held in India this time, the MI management has requested Tendulkar to atleast consider playing this tournament. MI has a huge fan base all over India and Tendulkar's presence definitely becomes a big factor," the official added.
     Tendulkar announced his retirement from IPL at the end of the final match but what might prompt him to take part in the Champions League is the timing of the tournament.
     "Since Sachin has already retired from ODIs, he won't get a lot of match practice before the Ranji Trophy. The format may be T20 but some serious ..

Tendulkar likely to play for Mumbai Indians in CLT20

In the wake of the spot-fixing scandal surrounding the IPL and Bangladesh Premier League, the ICC is doing whatever it can to minimise the risk of corruption during the Champions Trophy, which starts in the United Kingdom tomorrow.
     Players will have to surrender their mobile phones when they board the team coach to travel to matches and ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) officials will monitor behaviour around the hotels.
     Six of the eight teams taking part, including their support staff, have been given an hour long presentation by ACSU officials on how to spot danger signs and raise concerns.
     New Zealand and England will receive their presentation after today's match.
     Bangladesh are not part of the competition.
     Cricket around the world continues to be under crisis with former Bangladeshi captain Mohammad Ashraful breaking down in tears as he admitted his involvement in match-fixing during a domestic Twenty20 competition.
     Indian cricket has been 

ICC on high anti-fixing alert for Champions Trophy

There is a possibility that the franchise-based football tournament, to be jointly organised by the AIFF and its commercial partner IMG-Reliance early next year, could see retired stars such as David Beckham and Raul Gonzalez in action.
     According to a British website, Sports Management Agency IMG is trying to recruit recently retired stars like Beckham, his former England teammate Michael Owen and former Spain captain Raul Gonzalez to help boost the profile of the venture.
     However, no AIFF official was willing to confirm the development when asked about it.
     "I have only heard about it, so I cannot confirm you anything as of now," a top All India Football Federation official told PTI.
     Having being granted a window from January 15 to March 15 next year, the IPL-style football tournament will feature eight franchises with a squad of 25 players each to play a series of matches.
     The franchise-based league will feature many international players, including a few ...

IPL-style football league could see Beckham, Raul in action

Hotelier Vikram Aggarwal, summoned by Tamil Nadu Crime Branch Police in connection with the IPL betting case, today failed to appear before it and sought more time to do so.
   Police said Aggarwal's wife accompanied by an advocate appeared before the CB-CID office in Guindy and sought some more time for her husband to comply with the summons.
   CB-CID had last month summoned Aggarwal after one of the bookies, Kitty alias Uttam Jain, informed the police that he was operating from a hotel owned by Aggarwal.
   Aggarwal, owner of Radisson Blu hotel here, allegedly led the IPL betting syndicate here and was a crucial link between arrested CSK team principal and his friend Gurunath Meiyappan and actor Vindoo Randhawa.
   The CB-CID had also conducted raids at two hotels of Aggarwal in connection with the probe into the betting racket.
   Madras High Court had earlier refused to grant anticipatory bail to Aggarwal.
   The hotelier had appeared before the Mumbai police and recorded his ...

IPL scandal: Hotelier seeks more time to appear before police

Thrilled at her feat of bagging three gold medals, including a singles title at the Slovak Junior TT Open, promising paddler Sutirtha Mukherjee has credited regular overseas exposures for India's best-ever show in any table tennis tournament abroad.
     "It feels really proud while standing on top of the podium and hearing your national anthem. And I got that opportunity thrice in the tournament," said Sutirtha, who won gold in doubles and girls' team category, besides singles.
     "We have been playing in the international competitions regularly. It gives us confidence in taking on strong TT playing nations," the 15-year-old from West Bengal added.
     The Indian contingent finished with overall tally of four gold and two silver medals with boys' claiming gold in doubles and silver in the team competition.
     "Hopefully I will be able to continue with this form in the Asian Junior Championships in August," she said.
     This was by far the best performance by any visiting ...

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