Aiming their second title of the season, Divij Sharan and Purav Raja made a confident start at the ATP Challenger event in Guadalajara, defeating Marco Chiudinelli and Yuichi Sugita in straight sets.
     The unseeded Indian pair, who were runners-up last week at Leon, won 6-4 6-2 against the Swiss-Japanese combo in the first round of the USD 100,000 hard court event.
     The Indians pocketed the first set after breaking Sugita's serve in the third game. In the second set, they further imposed themselves on the opponents with back-to-back breaks -- fifth and seventh games.
     Serving well throughout the match helped the winners' cause well as the Indian team did not face even a single break point. They won 84 percent points on first serve and 77 percent on second serves.
     In all they won 57 points to 38 of their rivals.
     However, they have a tough task at hand as they face third seeded formidable pair of  Rajeev Ram and Benjamin Becker in the quarter-finals tomorrow.

Divij-Purav make winning start at Mexico Challenger event

PTI Automatic

In the absence of top Chinese shuttlers, Indian ace Saina Nehwal has been seeded number one and handed a relatively easy draw in the upcoming Yonex Sunrise Indian Open badminton tournament, scheduled to be held here from April 23-28.
     The London Olympics bronze-medallist will open her campaign against unseeded Belaetrix Manuputi of Indonesia in the women's singles event. She had beaten her comfortably in the All England Badminton pre-quarterfinals last month.
     The Hyderabadi is not likely to be challenged much in the first two rounds but may face some threat from compatriot P V Sindhu, who is seeded eighth in the competition.
     If Saina overcomes that hurdle, her first real test could be against world no. 8, Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the semifinals.
     Intanon, seeded third, had recently beaten Saina in the semifinals of the All England Championships.
     Meanwhile, in the men's singles event, top Indian Parupalli Kashyap has got a tough draw.
     The world No. 8 

Top seed Saina gets easy draw in Indian Open

Following in the footsteps of his legendary grandfather Lala Amarnath, Digvijay Amarnath has made his foray into cricket with a first-class debut in Sri Lanka.
     Lala, who scored India's first ever Test Century and later on went on to lead India, was a father figure in Indian Cricket.
     Then came his eldest son Surinder, who captained the Indian Schoolboys Test Team and later went on to score a century on Test debut like his father.
     The duo gave India the unique record of the only father and son to Score a 100 on debut in Test Cricket.
     They were followed by Mohinder, who played a leading role in India's first ever World Cup win in 1983.
     Now the third generation of the Amarnath family has stepped on to the cricket field with the 22-year-old son of Surinder, Digvijay, making his first class debut.
     Before that, Digvijay was selected to train at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai as a batsman last year.
     Digvijay, a left-hander like his father, was called for 

Amarnath family's third generation makes first-class debut

The depleted Delhi Daredevils are yet to register a win this season but Manpreet Juneja believes it is too early to write the team off and it will bounce back.
     "It happens. It's cricket but we have faith in ourselves and we believe we will bounce back," Juneja told reporters at the post match conference after his side's 44-run drubbing at the hands of Mumbai Indians.
     The Delhi franchise, three losses out of three matches so far, missed the services of swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag once again and Juneja informed that the senior player is still recovering from back spasms.
     "Viru pa (Sehwag) is still recovering. He seemed fit but he is not 100 per cent yet. He didn't want to get into the game without being 100 per cent (fit)," Juneja said.
     Chasing a mammoth 210 runs for victory, the 22-year-old made 49 off 40 balls and consolidated the Delhi innings with Australian David Warner, after his team lost two quick wickets.
     Juneja termed Warner's dismissal as the 

Delhi will bounce back: Juneja

The derecognition of the Archery Association of India has jeopardised the careers of archers employed with the Railways as they have been asked not to take part in any tournament conducted by the AAI.
     The Railways Sports Promotion Board in a circular dated March 22 has stated that the players and officials will "not be allowed" to participate in any event which will be conducted by the suspended AAI till further orders.
     "Besides the sports achievements in the event conducted by the AAI shall also not be considered for recruitment, incentives and other establishment matters till further orders," the circular, which has also been sent to the suspended Indian Boxing Federation, added.
     The AAI has picked a 16-member India contingent for the World Cup Stage I and Stage II that comprises six RSPB archers -- Rahul Banerjee (men's recurve); Dola Banerjee, Laishram Bombayla Devi, Rimil Biruly (all women's recurve); Gagandeep Kaur and Manjudha Soy (both women's compound).
     ...

Railways archers in limbo due to AAI suspension

Struggling Pune Warriors, with a question mark hanging over the fitness of their impact player Yuvraj Singh, cross swords with high-flying Rajasthan Royals in the Pepsi IPL clash at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium here tomorrow.
      The Warriors have lost two matches on the trot by putting up a dismal batting performance.
      On the other hand, the Royals go into their second away game after recording a clinically executed and morale-boosting 19-run victory over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at home, their second win in as many matches.
     Therefore, the Warriors are the underdogs going into the clash and their stuttering batting line-up, which includes proven performers at the international level like Yuvraj, Ross Taylor and Marlon Samuels, needs to buck up and start firing.
      Yuvraj pulled out of Pune's first home game on April 7 against Kings XI Punjab at the eleventh hour, after flopping in their campaign opener in Hyderabad against new outfit Sun Risers, ...

Struggling Warriors have tough task against upbeat Royals

Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, who became the leading scorer in the ongoing IPL after a match-winning effort against the Delhi Daredevils, said he enjoys batting at number three as it helps him make the best use of powerplay overs.
     The 27-year-old has 183 runs in three matches and he attributed his form to the good domestic season he had coming into the tournament.
     "This whole year has been good for me. I had a good domestic season and it is important that you carry forward that momentum into Twenty20 cricket. I am very confident that given a chance at any level, I will be able to do the best I can, so I am just motivated enough to get runs on the board," he said.
     "When I bat at number three, it's a slot that I really like batting at. It gives me the opportunity to play in the power play (overs). It is important that when a team like Mumbai Indians gives you the opportunity up at the top, you have got to put their faith back in them and show some ...

I enjoy batting at number three: Karthik

Chennai Super Kings might have lost their opening IPL match at home, but the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side were not a demoralised lot, said all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja here today
     "We (CSK) are not demoralised by the last defeat. It's T20 where things can change quickly. So, we will give our best in the match against Kings XI Punjab," Jadeja told reporters after his team's practice session here.
     Jadeja said South African Albie Morkel, who has been an integral part of the two-time champions CSK, has been declared fully fit and has joined the squad.
     "Albie Morkel is fully fit and back in the team," said Jadeja on the eve of their match against KXIP here tomorrow.
     Kings XI Punjab captain Adam Gilchrist was all gung-ho after his side's emphatic win against Pune Warriors.
     "The bowling and fielding clicked very well for us. We have tick-marked all our areas that we were focussing upon. Fielding is an area where one can get a big jump over the opponent and we did ...

CSK not demoralised by opening match loss: Jadeja

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli was today fined after his side were found to have maintained a slow over rate during their IPL match against Sunrisers Hyderabad here.
     At the end of the match, Royal Challengers Bangalore were assessed to be three overs behind the required rate after allowances were taken into consideration.
     Since it was his first offence of the season under the IPL's Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Kohli was fined USD 20,000.
     RCB beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets with Kohli hitting a match-winning knock of 93 not out.

Virat Kohli fined for slow over rate

Madhya Pradesh Government today declared 'Malkhamb' as the state sport and also launched 'Mission Olympics 2020' for imparting coaching to the budding talents.
     The decision to declare 'Malkhamb' as the state sport was taken by the Cabinet at its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, official sources said.
     Malkhamb is an ancient sport and a player is required to have a unique technique and players mastering it can also excel in wrestling, gymnastics, pole vault and other sports, according to experts.
     Under the Mission Olympics 2020 scheme, the government would impart training to budding talents in such a manner that they represent India in Olympics 2020, officials said.
     The focus under the scheme will be on martial arts, water sports and shooting and the players will be shortlisted for dedicated coaching at the minimum age of nine years.
     Players of international repute will be asked to coach the budding players -- four each in men and women ..

MP declares 'Malkhamb' as state sport

Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, will now have Multipurpose Indoor Sports (MPIS) Complex.
     The Minister for Youth Services and Sports, Taj Mohi-ud-Din today laid the foundation stone of Multipurpose Indoor Sports (MPIS) Complex, estimated to be built at a cost of Rs 7 crore, at the MAM Stadium here today.
     The MPIS, on its completion, will have seven halls for different sports activities, including Taekwondo, Wushu, Volleyball, Basketball, Badminton and Table Tennis.
	The projects are targeted to be completed within a period of one year.
     "The proposed indoor stadium would be a precious gift for the youth of Jammu city as it would have facilities for varied sports activities with state of the art infrastructure," Taj said.
	Underscoring the need for upgrading sports infrastructure in the state, the Minister said that several initiatives have been already taken by the government in this regard and measures were afoot to increase the number of facilities for ..

Jammu winter capital to have MPIS Complex

Royal Challengers Bangalore pacer R P Singh today said that his side can win matches in the IPL even without contribution from explosive West Indian batsman Chris Gayle as shown by captain Virat Kohli who hit an unbeaten 93 against Sunrisers Hyderabad here today.
     "Generally people talk about Gayle, but we have plenty of batsmen like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers. So we can't say we are not able to win matches if Gayle fails," said R P Singh who played his first game of this year's IPL today.
     He praised Kohli for his match-winning knock which helped the team take a sweet revenge over the Sunrisers at Chinnaswamy Stadium.
     "This was Kohli's best innings in the IPL. He planned his innings wonderfully well. He came in early after the fall of first wicket and stayed till the end to finish off the game," Singh told reporters at post-match press conference.
     Singh said he was happy to bowl two good overs, but expressed his desire to do even better.
     He said the team was ..

We can win matches without Gayle: RP Singh

England and Wales Cricket Board has asked the BCCI if the Indian Premier League can be advanced by a month so that its players can take part in the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament, a media report said.
     According to a report in 'The Times' newspaper, David Collier, the ECB chief executive, travelled to India last week to meet officials of the BCCI to urge them to reschedule future IPL seasons to dovetail more with the England first-class season.
     This, the report, said was in response to pressure from England players who wanted to play in the IPL. Some of England's players have made their impatience clear about their exclusion from high-profile tournaments like the IPL.
     Matt Prior, who failed to attract a bid in the IPL auction this year despite his growing stature, has said players are frustrated at the lack of opportunities to feature in the lucrative competition as franchises remain concerned over availability.
     According to the report, Collier wanted, in future ...

ECB wants IPL to be advanced for its cricketers to take part

The four members of the Indian Davis Cup team that won the Asia/Oceania relegation play-off match against Indonesia were presented with a Chairos luxury watch each by e-commerce firm QNET India.
     India beat Indonesia 5-0 in the Asia/Oceania relegation play-off match here on Sunday.
     The four members of the team were Leander Paes, Somdev Devvarman, Yuki Bhambhri and Sanam Singh.
     QNET is the official sponsor of Indian Davis Cup team.
     Suresh Thimiri, Managing Director and CEO Transview Enterprise, franchisee of QNET in India, said, "QNET has been extremely proud of Indian team. The players have demonstrated commendable form, grace and resilience. Chairos is a proprietary brand of luxury-Swiss-movement watches exclusively available through QNET network. We are sure the team will like their new Chairos watches."
     Sunil Yajaman, chief organiser of Davis Cup in Bangalore said, "We are really happy that QNET being the official sponsor of the Indian Davis Cup Team is ...

Indian Davis Cup players presented Swiss luxury watches

Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in their Indian Premier League match here today.
     Brief Scores:
     Sunrisers Hyderabad: 161 for 6 in 20 overs (Cameron White 52, Thisara Perera 40, RP Singh 3/27).
     Royal Challengers Bangalore: 162 for 3 in 17.4 overs (Virat Kohli 93 not out; Cameron White 1/14).

RCB beat Sunrisers by 7 wkts

The International Cricket Council today announced the launch of an archive website which will have footages of ICC events dating back from 1975 World Cup to the latest Women's World Cup 2013.
     The website, www.Iccarchive.Com, is the definitive online search engine of past ICC Events, from the ICC Cricket World Cup 1975 right up to the ICC Women's World Cup 2013, the world body said in a release.
     With over 3,000 hours of the greatest moments from ICC events and digital transfer capability, there has never been a more simple way to view, source and acquire ICC footage, it said.
     Journalists, production houses, film makers and other interested third parties have the opportunity to access the very best of world cricket by registering online for the website.
     The website also features match action from last year's ICC World Twenty20 2012 and the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012, along with 38 years of other archived ICC events.
     The latest additions to the website ...

Archive website of ICC events launched

Senior India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will make his television debut in an animation series called 'Master Blasters' in which he will be seen mentoring young talents from across the world.
     The 3D computer-generated imagery of action, comedy and adventure animation series would be co-produced by Shemaroo Entertainment and Moonscoop, and the first season will comprise 26 episodes of 22 minutes each.
     "The work has started and it will be ready by next year," a spokesperson for Shemaroo Entertainment said.
     In the series, Tendulkar is appointed by The Programme for International Training of Cricket Heroes (PITCH), to head a training camp for the finest young cricket talents from around the world, a media release said.
     While coaching and teaching the young hopefuls the finer points of the game, Tendulkar also mentors them to be down to earth.
     "I have always been fascinated with the world of animation and have enjoyed watching it with my children. The challenge for .

Tendulkar to feature in animated cricket programme

An upbeat Mohun Bagan will look to continue their winning run when they take on Mumbai FC in a rescheduled 14th round match of the I-League at the Kalyani Stadium tomorrow.
     Bagan thrashed Sporting Clube de Goa 5-1 in an away match in the previous round as the success of Odafa Okolie and Tolgay Ozbey -- who scored a hat-trick and twice respectively two days ago -- is doubling the confidence of their Moroccan coach Karim Bencherifa.
     "They always had good understanding and that has been proved once again," Bencherifa said about the two strikers.
     Bagan have won two out of two -- Dempo and SCG -- in as many outings as they look confident to avoid relegation.
     "But we have to keep working hard as we are yet to be safely out of the relegation zone," Bencherifa said.
     "Our objective will be to clear out of the relegation zone and to realise that we need more good wins," the coach said.
     Bagan, who were penalised and docked off their points earned in the first 10 ...

Mohun Bagan eyeing a hat-trick of wins

Jamjang Deru gave India the first medal in the World Youth Weightlifting Championships as he won a silver in the 50kg boys category on the opening day at Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
     Deru won the silver in clean and jerk with an effort of 110 kg and finished fourth in the total lift with 195kg. He lifted 85kg in snatch.
     In the same category, Deepak Lather finished 12th in total lift with an effort of 174kg (80+94) last night.
     In the girls 44kg category, Chandrika Tarafdar finished seventh in total lift with an effort of 135kg (57+78) while Poonam Dalal was 15th with a total lift of 122kg (53+69).
     The World Youth Championships serves as a qualification event for 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

Indians win a silver in World Youth Weightlifting

East Bengal virtually stormed into the pre-quarterfinals of AFC Cup after their 2-1 win over Singapore giants Tampines Rovers in a Group H league match here today.
     The Federation Cup champions led 1-0 at half-time with Chidi Edeh's 23rd minute strike on a hot and muggy afternoon at the Yubabharati Krirangan.
     The Singapore league leaders found the equaliser through Shaiful Esah in the 69th minute.
     But East Bengal had the last laugh when Lalrindika Ralte fired in the winner in the 87th minute.
     The red-and-gold brigade remained on top position in Group H with 10 points from four matches to almost seal their last 16 knock-out berth.
     This was East Bengal's second successive win against the defending S-League champions after their 4-2 win in Singapore last week.

East Bengal in AFC Cup pre-quarterfinals

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Libero Sports India will lead a 40-member delegation to the two-day Soccerex European Forum in Manchester, UK starting tomorrow.
     The delegation has representatives from Sports Ministry and All India Football Federation as well as from the leading brands, clubs, academies and agencies involved in the effort of developing football in India.
     Soccerex is the world's biggest football business event attended by global stakeholders.
     Manchester City will host the delegation tomorrow at the Etihad Stadium. On April 11, the delegation will participate in a 90-minute session entitled 'India: Awakening Football's Sleeping Giant' which will focus on business opportunities in Indian football, including possible opportunities associated with hosting the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
     During the two day forum, the Indian delegation will have an exclusive exhibition stall to conduct meetings and showcase some of the .

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