The third edition of the Jammu Marathon 'Run for Fun' will be held here on April 21.
 	The marathon programme, which will feature a 4km run, half marathon and marathon events, besides a 12km run for boys and girls below the age of 17 years, will be held here on April 21, Additional Director General, Armed Police, S M Sahai told reporters.
	He added that the prize purse for this year's marathon events has been increased to Rs 3 lakh from previous year's Rs 90,000.
	While the top athlete in the Marathon will get a sum of Rs 25,000, the winner in the half-marathon will fetch an amount of Rs 10,000.
	The winner in the 12km race will get a sum of Rs 8,000.
	The ADGP added that the athletes from the paramilitary forces and J&K Police who secure first five positions in marathon and half-marathon will be awarded Commendation Certificate with suitable cash award.

'Run for Fun' marathon on April 21 in Jammu

PTI Automatic

The annual Inter Battalion tournament will be organised by Jammu and Kashmir Police from April 15, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), S M Sahai said here today.
     The six-day-long tournament will witness as many as 1200 athletes, including 300 women, from 28 battalions of Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police and Indian Reserve Police contest in 13 different disciplines.
     While Basketball, Volleyball, Tug-of-War, Boxing, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Football, Handball and Kabaddi will be held at Jammu and Kashmir Police Sports Complex, Hockey and Athletics events will be conducted at Jammu University grounds.
     Shooting events will be held at Training Center Sunjwan, in the outskirts of the city, and Handball will be organised at District Police Lines, while Swimming will be held at KC Public School, Sahai told reporters.
     Apart from the above mentioned disciplines, the tournament will also feature Gazetted Officers events, which include Badminton, Table Tennis and Lawn 

Inter Battalion tournament from April 15 in Jammu

Mumbai Indians pacer Mitchell Johnson today said having played for Australia under Ricky Ponting, who is currently leading MI in Pepsi IPL, might prove to be advantageous for him as the skipper knows his game well.
     "I have been under his (Ponting's) captaincy for a lot of my career. I guess having Ricky as captain, I think he knows me pretty well. So that sort of helps a lot when we are in a situation because it is such a fast game," said Johnson ahead of Mumbai Indians clash against Pune Warriors here tomorrow.
     "The Champions League T20 was my first game for the Mumbai Indians and Harbhajan Singh was the captain, so that was quite different for me. But it was something new and something exciting.
     "But Ricky knows me very well so he can pick up those little things quicker than Harbhajan could have. Having said that, when I was under Harbhajan I found that he was quite easy to talk to, pretty open to suggestions. He just said to me I know as a bowler you have got the ...

Having Ricky as MI captain boost for me: Johnson

With Odafa Okolie and Tolgay Ozbey forming a fiery combination up front, Mohun Bagan will look to extend their winning run when they face Air India in a round 24 I-League match at the Kalyani Stadium here tomorrow.
    	With the Nigerian-Aussie duo hitting a purple patch, Mohun Bagan look unstoppable having been able to come out of the relegation zone temporarily.
    	"The Odafa-Tolgay combination is in good shape and that is giving us confidence," coach Karim Bencherifa said.
    	"We still have to keep working hard as the relegation threat is not completely over. The players are working hard and they understand the tasks they have to complete," he said.
    	Mohun Bagan have 19 points from 20 matches, the same as Air India who have played two more matches.
	"Mohun Bagan have a good attack with the likes of Odafa and Tolgay, but a team does not get success because of two players. We will have plans for the whole side and would like to ensure that it works well," Air India coach ...

Mohun Bagan confident ahead of I-League match tomorrow

Rashid Khan of Delhi won the PGTI Players Championship after scoring 39 points in the final round of the tournament at the Classic Golf Resort here today.
     Rashid's final round score took his total to 159 points. Chandigarh's Gurbaaz Mann was the runner-up with a total score of 157 points.
     The stableford points scoring format was followed during the tournament. Under this scoring format, each par accounts for two points, each birdie for three points, each eagle for four points, each bogey for one point and each double bogey (or worse) for zero points.
     Rashid (40-40-40-39), who was two off the lead after round three, made a steady start with six pars and then produced a fabulous chip-in from 15 yards for birdie on the seventh. Rashid's next birdie came on the ninth where he landed his third shot within three feet of the pin.
     He then hit it out of bounds on the 11th and dropped a bogey. The 22-year-old sank a 20-feet eagle putt on the 14th to all but seal his third ...

Rashid Khan bags title at Classic Golf Resort

Mumbai Indians pacer Mitchell Johnson felt the despicable on-field spat between rival captains, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli, could have been a spur of the moment incident arising out of healthy competition.
     "I missed that game but I did hear about it. Everyone is competitive, it doesn't matter if in that instance it was two Indian players (getting involved). Look, it's healthy competition. You don't plan for those things to happen. It's just something that happens, it's the nature of the game," Johnson said ahead of the home-tie against Pune Warriors at the Wankhede Stadium here.
     "Everyone is out there to win and everyone is fired up. Like I said, the situations in games can get on you very quickly because it is a fast game. But during those moments you have got to sit back and try and relax a bit and take your time. I didn't see the incident. Whatever happened, I didn't see it," the left-arm Australian pacer added.
     Kohli and Gambhir, who both play for Delhi in ...

You don't plan for an on-field spat, says Johnson

Rahul Ragala Venkat bagged a silver and a bronze in the boys 77 kg on the fifth day of the Youth World Weightlifting Championships at Tashkent, Uzbekistan today.
     Venkat lifted 136kg in snatch to win a silver and his total effort of 296 kg (136+160) fetched him a bronze.
     Russia's Khetag Khugaev won the gold in total lift with an effort of 312kg (144+168) while Ayat Amirbekov of Kazakhstan bagged the silver with 297kg (136+161).
     With the two medals today, India's tally in the championships swelled to two silver and a bronze. Jamjang Deru had won a silver in the boys 50kg category on the opening day.
     In boys 69kg today, Sambo Lapung finished 12th in total lift with an effort of 258kg (118+140).
     In girls 63kg category, Manpreet Kaur finished 16th in total lift with an effort of 157kg (68+89) while Pompi Saikia was 18th with 152kg (68+84).
     The Youth World Championships serves as a qualification event for 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

Indian lifter wins two medals in Youth World Championships

India's campaign at the New Zealand Badminton Open ended today after Ajay Jayaram and Arvind Bhat lost their respective quarterfinal matches of the men's singles event here.
     While Jayaram, seeded third, retired from his quarterfinal tie to hand over qualifier Xue Song of China a place in the last four stage of the tournament, Bhat went down tamely to second seed Jen Hao Hsu of Chinese Taipei.
     Having lost the opening game 12-21, Jayaram was down 10-15 in the second game when he decided to quit.
     The 25-year-old Indian battled for 27 minutes before finally giving up.
     Earlier in the day, Jayaram had played a hard-fought third round match to prevail over 12th seeded Ji Hoon Hong of South Korea 14-21 28-26 21-13.
     It took him an hour and nine minutes to get the better of the Korean.
     Seeded 13th, Bhat, however failed to pose any threat to Jen Hao Hsu, losing his round of 16 match 6-21 17-21 in 39 minutes.
     But he had done well in his third round match earlier 

India's campaign over at New Zealand Badminton Open

Five years after the infamous 'slapgate', one of the protagonists of the drama, S Sreesanth, today made an explosive claim, saying the entire incident was planned and that his former India teammate Harbhajan Singh was a "backstabbing person".
     The temperamental Sreesanth made a series of revelations on the 2008 incident on his twitter page today, creating a fresh controversy in the high-profile IPL.
     "To be whr Iam ..I ve no complaints..But now I want u All to know the truth. He (Bhajji) never Slapped me. The video will show u all..Wt he did," Sreesanth wrote in a series of expletives-laden tweets.
     "All blamed me for getting emotional ..??c mon who doesn't get emotional whn u know the person who u worship is a backstabbing person Nd ..," he tweeted.
     "Disgusting ..That's all I can say..U should get hold of the video..Them u all will know te truth..Wht he did is completely out of control," he said.
     Sreesanth, who is currently playing for Rajasthan Royals, demanded 

Sreesanth reopens 'slapgate' chapter with explosive claims

With no real threat coming forth from rivals, overnight leader Feroz Singh Garewal did not have to break much sweat before capturing the IGU Haryana Juniors Golf Championship title, here today.
     The Chandigarh-lad, with a tournament total of 3-under 285, won with a comfortable margin of five shots, from Kartikey Vashist.
     Even a final round of 1-over par 73 was more than enough to fetch him the title at the Golden Greens Golf Club here.
     Manu Gandas was third at 294 while Pirush Sangwan finshed fourth at 295.
     The fifth and the sixth position went to Viraj Madappa and Pukhraj Singh Gill, who finished with totals of 298 and 303 respectively.
     Kartik Sharma bagged the honours in Category B after shooting a final round 73 for a 4-day total of 307.
     Karandeep Kochhar and Karan Sharma finished six shots behind the winner to be tied for the second place while Arjun Puri (317) was fourth, followed by Tanvir Kahlon and Jaiveer Singh, who shared the fifth place at 318.
 

Feroz wins IGU Haryana Juniors Golf Championship

He gave India its first medal at the Paralympic Games after finishing second in the Men's High Jump event yet his silver-winning effort could not land him a job with the Sports Authority of India as promised by the former Sports Minister, Ajay Maken.
     The sole breadwinner of his family, Girisha, who has an impairment in his left leg, was honoured with Rs 30 lakh cash award for his medal-winning feat but what he did not get was a Class-I officer job with the SAI despite writing several letters to the sports body.
     "Last year, then sports minister Ajay Maken had promised Class-I officer job with SAI to all Olympic and Paralympic medal winners. I was also hopeful to get this job as I am the sole breadwinner of my family. I had applied for the job six months back but yet to hear from the Sports Ministry or SAI," Girisha told PTI.
     "I even met the new Sports Minister, Jitendra Singh and senior SAI officials but did not get any specific assurances from them. The officials said ..

Girisha still waiting for 'promised' SAI job

The Indian women's cricket team rode on a disciplined bowling performance to register a 58-run victory over Bangladesh in the third and final One-day International and inflict a 3-0 whitewash on the visitors here today.
     Electing to bat, India were all out for a modest 154 in 48.3 overs, but they managed to defend it by bundling out the Bangladeshis for just 96 in 41.1 overs.
     Poonam Yadav was the pick of the bowlers with figures of three for 15 from 10 overs. Swagatika Rath (2/15) and Ekta Bisht (2/19) chipped in with two each, while Rita Dhrub and Shubhlakshmi Sharma claimed a wicket apiece.
     India did not have an ideal start as they lost their top- order early to be reeling at 67 for four at one stage.
     But last match centurion, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (29), in the able company of Swagatika (30), steadied the boat to take the team past 100-run mark.
     The duo put together a steady 34-run stand for the fifth wicket.
     Opener Smriti Mandhana (23) also chipped ..

Indian eves whitewash Bangladesh, clinch ODI series 3-0

With the UEFA Champions League entering the semifinal stage, a premium beverage brand today unveiled the 'Social Reporter' who will fly to London to watch and report the final of the continental tournament at the famous Wembley Stadium.
     After assessing the football knowledge and passion of the applicants, Heineken selected Mumbai's Akhil Shah who will give live updates of the final for the company's social media platforms in India.
     It also introduced 'Road to the Final' campaign, inviting football fans to win themselves tickets for the finals of the mega event to be held on May 25.
     Speaking at the event, Samar Singh Sheikhawat, Senior Vice-President Marketing, United Breweries Limited, said, "Given the growing fan following that European football now enjoys in India, we decided to leverage our global partnership in India for the first time this year with a multi-pronged activation program.

Heineken announces 'Social Reporter' for Champions League

Justice (retd) Sudhir Nanavati, who headed the 'slapgate' inquiry, today contradicted S Sreesanth's claim that he was elbowed by Harbhajan Singh in the 2008 IPL incident, saying the pacer was indeed slapped by his then India teammate.
    Nanavati, who was appointed by the BCCI to probe the 'slapgate' incident, said there was no provocation from Sreesanth's part and Harbhajan tried to slap him for the second time but was restrained by security guards.
     "In the video footage, I have seen Harbhajan use the backside of his right palm to give him (Sreesanth) a slap on the right side of his face. It was clear cut, it was there to be seen in the video footage," said Nanavati.
     "He (Harbhajan) had admitted it before me, yes slap was given. My first reaction after seeing the video footage in the BCCI office was that I was shocked and surprised. What I have seen in the frame of the video was that Harbhajan after giving him a slap was coming back once again to hit him but at that time, .

Harbhajan slapped Sreesanth not elbowed: Nanavati

Soon after his high-profile signing with Sporting Lisbon last year, Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri was stuck on the bench for a prolonged period in the Iberian country, and it affected him so much that he often slipped into bouts of "depression".
     "I was disappointed playing just five matches in six months and that too not starting. I go into depression if I don't get to play," Chhetri said here today about his stint in Portugal, referring to his rare appearances.
     "For me it's very important to play matches at this stage of my career, I am not 19 now."
     I-League club Churchill Brothers had in February signed Chhetri on loan from Sporting Lisbon for four months.
     The 28-year-old striker had signed a two-year contract in July last year that would keep him with the Lisbon club till June 2014.
     But Chhetri, a former Kansas City striker, found it hard to break into the ranks and spent most of the time warming the bench in the Liga de Honra, which is the ...

I slip into depression if I don't get to play: Chhetri

Salgaocar are looking to keep their winning momentum intact as they take on United Sikkim in their 24th round I-League match at the Tilak Maidan Stadium here tomorrow.
     Salgaocar's new foreign recruit in the second window transfer have lifted the team up from the relegation zone, placing them at ninth position with 27 points from 23 matches.
     They have three matches remaining and coach David Booth is hoping to collect full points and finish among the top six.
    	Technical director Peter Valles is happy with the way his boys are performing.
     "It's not going to be a revenge match after we lost against the visitors. It's going to be any other match. Our aim is to win all the remaining three matches and tomorrow's win is important.
     "The Snow Lions are fighting to avoid relegation, will try to come hard on us and we need to remain focus till the end to collect full points. With no injuries and yellow card, we have full team at our disposal to choose," said Valles.
     ..

Salgaocar look to keep unbeaten run intact

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh today refused to comment on his former India teammate S Sreesanth's claim that the 2008 IPL season 'slapgate' incident was pre-planned and he was wrongly made the villain of the whole controversy.
     "No comments. I don't want to make any comments," Harbhajan told PTI when asked to react to Sreesanth's explosive claims on Twitter today.
     Five years after the infamous 'slapgate', Sreesanth made a series of revelations on the 2008 incident on his twitter page today, creating a fresh controversy in the IPL.
     He claimed that he was not all at fault in the incident and the real video, which has never been released till now, would show his version. He also accused Harbhajan of being a "backstabbing person".
     ".. Now I want u All to know the truth. He (Bhajji) never Slapped me. The video will show u all..Wt he did. All blamed me for getting emotional ..??c mon who doesn't get emotional whn u know the person who u worship is a backstabbing person Nd ..

Harbhajan refuses to comment on Sreesanth claims on 'slapgate'

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has sanctioned an Rs one lakh to Athens Special Olympics bronze medal winner, Seeta Sahu of Rewa, following newspaper reports which highlighted her plight.
	Seeta, 15, won two bronze medals in 200 and 1600 meter race in Athens Special Olympics in 2011 but she struggles to make ends meet selling 'gol gappas'.
     Before the contingent for the Special Olympics left for Athens, state's Social Justice Minister Gopal Bhargava had announced that those winning gold medal will be given Rs one lakh cash reward, silver medal winners will get Rs 50,000 and while bronze Rs 25,000, sources said.
     However, Seeta after winning laurels for the country did not receive any reward.
     After her father fell ill, Seeta stopped going to school and started working full time to sustain her family.
     When the media highlighted the issue, the government acted swiftly with Chouhan announcing financial assistance.
	Congress general secretary, Digvijay 

MP govt sanctions Rs 1 lakh assistant for Spl Olympic winner

Five years after the infamous 'slapgate', one of the protagonists of the drama, S Sreesanth, today made an explosive claim, saying that the entire incident was planned and that his former India teammate Harbhajan Singh was a "backstabbing person".
     The temperamental Sreesanth made a series of revelations on the 2008 incident on his twitter page today, creating a fresh controversy in the IPL, a day after Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli were involved in an ugly on-field spat.
     "To be whr Iam ..I ve no complaints..But now I want u All to know the truth.He (Bhajji)never Slapped me.The video will show u all..Wt he did," Sreesanth wrote in a series of expletives-laden tweets.
     "All blamed me for getting emotional ..??c mon who doesn't get emotional whn u know the person who u worship is a backstabbing person Nd ..," he tweeted.
     "Disgusting ..That's all I can say..U should get hold of the video..Them u all will know te truth..Wht he did is completely out of control," he ...

Sreesanth reopens 'slapgate' chapter, calls Bhajji backstabber

Rajasthan Royals skipper Rahul Dravid blamed the seven-wicket loss to Pune Warriors on the batting collapse in the second part of their innings but vowed to bounce back in the IPL.
     "We just kept losing wicket and that cost us dear. Just when we thought we could accelerate, we lost Ajinkya Rahane, we lost (Stuart) Binny and then I got out myself. We lost wickets at crucial times and we could not kicked off for a bigger total," Dravid said after the match last night.
     The Royals were going strong at 81 for one in the 12th over before being reduced to 106 for five in the 16th over to end their innings at 145 for five.
     "Maybe we were 15 runs short but the way they batted, even that might not have been enough. We have seen (Aaron) Finch before, we discussed him," he said about the Warriors opener who hit 64 off 53 balls to guide his side to victory.
     Dravid conceded that the Warriors have some big hitters in their ranks and little could be done once they came off firing.
 

Dravid blames loss on batting failure, promises to bounce back

Held in South Africa last year, the Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament will return to India this season with the BCCI scheduling it from September 17 to October 6.
     "The Champions League Twenty20 will return to India for the third time in five years in 2013 after the dates and format for this year's tournament were confirmed by the CLT20 Governing Council," the BCCI said in a statement.
     "The world's premier domestic T20 competition will be played from 17 September to 6 October. The tournament will follow a similar format to the two previous editions with a Group Stage preceded by a Qualifier.
     "A total of 29 matches will be played in the tournament by the best domestic T20 teams from around the world," it added.
     The CLT20 Governing Council also confirmed that the teams will compete for a total prize money of USD six million.
     Trinidad & Tobago, who were the runners-up in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2009, have earned direct entry into ...

Page 5143 -