Delhi golfer Vani Kapoor shot a four-over 76 to grab the top spot after the second round of the sixth leg of Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour 2013 here today.
     Vani, who was tied second after the first round, has now opened up a three-shot lead over the trio of Saaniya Sharma, Neha Tripathi and Gursimar Badwal, who are tied at the second place.
     Vani, who played extremely well in her maiden season as a pro last year, made a strong comeback today, carding three birdies on the third, fifth and 14th holes to finish the second day on top with a total score of 154.
     She had bogeys on the first, second, fourth, sixth. 12th, 15th and 18th at the Panchkula Golf Club.
     Local girl Saaniya came up with the best score of the day with a two over 74 which propelled her from her overnight tied 10th position to a tied second place after round two.
     She carded four birdies on the third, 10th, 11th and 16th. Neha, who was tied eighth after round one also made a strong comeback and carded .

Vani Kapoor jumps to sole lead

PTI Automatic

Sahara Force India says it will not get carried away by the enthusiasm following its best-ever start to the season as the Malaysian Grand Prix, the second race on the Formula One calender, is lined up for Sunday.
     The Indian team scored 10 points as come-back man Adrian Sutil finished seventh and Paul di Resta eighth at Melbourne.
     "We have scored points in Sepang the last three times we raced there, including a double-points finish last year, and I believe we can build on the early-season momentum to bring home a valuable result," Team Principal Vijay Mallya said.
     Mallya said now they will be watched curiously by all after a superb result in the season-opening race.
     "With improved results come increased responsibilities. The whole world of Formula One - our rivals, the media and the fans - now look at Sahara Force India as a competitor for points at every race. It is our duty to sustain this scrutiny by going out every day and performing to our best to keep ...

Important not to get carried away: Force India

Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia has been appointed chairman of the All India Football Federation's technical committee, marking the Sikkimese sniper's foray into administration.
     Bhutia, who retired from international football in 2011 following the national team's dismal showing in the Asian Cup in Doha, where it failed to win a single match, was the torchbearer of Indian football during a career spanning 16 years.
     "He is becoming chairman of the technical committee. The decision was taken by president Praful Patel. Normally, any committee or head of it is formed with the concurrence of the president," AIFF vice-president Subrata Dutta told PTI.
     It was learnt that the 36-year-old's appointment had been finalised at the last executive committee meeting of the All India Football Federation.
     Bhutia's appointment means former India international Mohammad Habib would be removed as head of the technical committee.
     Besides Habib, the current committee consists ..

Bhutia appointed AIFF technical committee chief

The Sports Ministry today released the Standard Operative Procedure (SOP) to identify circumstances of Female Hyperandrogenism under which a particular athlete will not be eligible to participate in competitions in the female category.
     The Ministry in a letter to the states and union territories, Sports Authority of India and recognised National Sports Federations has urged them to appoint Nodal officers and alternate nodal officers as per the said guidelines and display their name, designation, address and telephone numbers on their website.
     A statement from the Sports Ministry further said that appointed nodal officers are required to take necessary action as per the Standard Operating Procedure.

Govt releases SOP to identify Female Hyperandrogenism

The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) Director Jyoti Bajpai is planning to promote his son, Mayank Bajpai, to a post equivalent to his, and has called a meeting of the office-bearers on March 23 in this regard.
     Mayank could be nominated as the CEO of the UPCA or can be awarded any other important post, sources in the body said.
     However, many office-bearers are against the move and have accused the Director of promoting his family in governing the affairs of the body due to his own ill health.
     "He (Mayank) has never held a bat in his hand and never shown any interest in the affairs of the UPCA. He runs a school and is a businessman," a source said.
      Jyoti Bajpai has held many important posts in the BCCI, including that of Treasurer. When contacted, he said that Mayank was entering the UPCA on merit.
      "If Mayank is getting a post in the UPCA on merit, where is the problem? All the office bearers are making this decision," Jyoti said, when contacted.

UPCA Director promotes son's entry

The Bangladesh women cricket team will play three Twenty20 internationals and three One-dayers during their upcoming tour of India, the BCCI announced today.
     The visitors will open their tour with a Twenty20 international in Baroda on April 2.
     All the three T20s will be played in Baroda while the ODIs are scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad.
     The match-schedule:
     April 2 - Tuesday -  1st T20 International - Baroda
     April 4 - Thursday - 2nd T20 International - Baroda
     April 5 - Friday  -  3rd T20 International - Baroda
     April 8 - Monday -   1st ODI  - Ahmedabad.
     April 10 - Wednesday 2nd ODI  - Ahmedabad.
     April 12 - Friday -  3rd ODI  - Ahmedabad.

Bangladesh women team to tour India next month

In a big blow to Delhi Daredevils, their star batsman Kevin Pietersen was today ruled out of the upcoming Indian Premier League due to a knee injury which he sustained during the ongoing New Zealand tour.
     The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Pietersen experienced knee pain while fielding in preparation for the four-day game in Queenstown ahead of the Test series, which has failed to resolve satisfactorily.
     "Recent scans confirm an injury to the right knee with bone bruising and possible cartilage damage to the kneecap. The 32-year-old will return to the UK for further investigations and specialist review," ECB said on its website.
     Pietersen will not available for the English side in the third and final Test against New Zealand starting Friday at Auckland.
     "The injury is likely to require ongoing assessments and a six-eight week period of rest and rehabilitation. Pietersen has therefore been withdrawn from all cricket including the Indian Premier League," .

Pietersen to miss IPL 6 due to knee injury

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders might miss the services of their captain Gautam Gambhir as the senior opener is down with jaundice.
     Gambhir, who was in contention to replace an injured Shikhar Dhawan in the fourth Test against Australia, underwent a few blood tests and jaundice was detected ruling him out of the match starting on Friday.
     As of now, he might require rest for a period of three weeks in order to get back in action.
     There is a possibility that South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis or New Zealand's wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum might lead KKR in Gambhir's absence.
     McCullum has already had an experience of leading KKR during the disastrous second edition in South Africa where they finished at the bottom of the heap.
     But Kallis, if fit and available, will be the seniormost player and someone who is respected in the KKR ranks.
     So, Kallis seems to be the favourite to lead the side if Gambhir misses the first few matches of the 

Gambhir likely to miss opening few IPL matches

Mike Hussey has ruled out coming out of retirement despite Australian cricket coach Mickey Arthur saying that he is open to welcoming back the batsman who was a crucial cog in the team's middle-order till a few months back.
     Hussey retired in January with 6235 Test runs at an average of 51.52. The 37-year-old veteran of 79 Tests said it was flattering to hear Arthur emphasising on his relevance during what has been a nightmare tour of India.
     "It's extremely flattering," Hussey was quoted as saying by 'the Sydney Morning Herald.
     "But I've moved on and I really don't want to be back in that pressure-cooker environment, particularly leading into the Ashes," he added.
     Hussey conceded that the team, which is down 0-3 in the four-match series against India, is going through a tough phase but ruled out coming back to lend a helping hand, saying that he is enjoying time with his family.
     "It's going to be an extremely stressful time for all the boys. I'm really looking .

Flattered but Hussey won't come out of retirement

In a bid to tap the growing Indian overseas traveller market, Australian state of Queensland has roped in cricket legend Matt Hayden for a new tourism campaign.
	According to official statement, Minister for Tourism Jann Stuckey said the 'Go Beyond' campaign would showcase Queensland's rainforests, beaches and the Great Barrier Reef, which are all popular with Indian tourists.
	Hayden, 41, one of Australia's best opening batsmen, will front the new campaign. He holds the record for the highest score made by an Australian batsman in Tests (380).
	"India is a growing market for Queensland with the number of Indian visitors to Queensland rising by 3 per cent to 31,000 in 2012," Stuckey said.
	"The campaign is a joint venture between Tourism and Events Queensland and Singapore Airlines, and its partner Virgin Australia, with special flight packages to be offered between Indian ports and Brisbane.
	"It is also designed to showcase how easy it is to 'go beyond' Australian international ...

Matt Hayden to promote Queensland among Indian tourists

Pakistan pace legend and former captain Wasim Akram wants to play a role in helping the Cricket Board resolve, what he calls, a "crisis" in the fast bowling department.
     Wasim said he was willing to not only help the Pakistan Cricket Board in any venture but would also launch his own talent hunt scheme to unearth raw pace talent and then groom them in a specialised camp in April.
     "I want to see Pakistan at the top of the cricket world and the recent performance in the Test series in South Africa has been very disappointing for me. I strongly believe we can still find exciting new pace talent in the country," Wasim said.
     A debate has been raging in Pakistan cricket after chief selector Iqbal Qasim last week warned that the country could face a pace bowling crisis.
     But Wasim, who dominated Pakistan cricket in the 90s and until his retirement in 2003 in both the Test and one-day formats taking 414 and 502 wickets respectively, said the situation could be rectified.
    

Wasim wants to help Pakistan's recovery from pace crisis

The ICC has rejected the Pakistan Cricket Board's reservations about some umpiring decisions and the way the Decision Review System was used in the team's Test series in South Africa.
     According to sources in the board, the ICC has put down the umpiring blunders to human errors and mistakes and nothing more.
     "The ICC has said that none of the umpiring mistakes were intentional and were part of the game. It has also said the UDRS system is working well and producing productive results," one source said.
     The PCB had, on the request of its team management in South Africa after the first Test in Johannesburg, written to the ICC raising concerns over some of the decisions and the performance of umpire Steve Davis.
     The PCB had also expressed reservations over the effectiveness of the hot spot technology used by umpires in the DRS system.
     "The ICC has now sent its reply to the PCB and said that none of the umpiring errors were intentional and were just human errors," .

ICC rejects PCB's DRS reservations during SA series

An all-round performance by Kuldip Raval propelled Saurashtra to a comprehensive 60-run victory over Mumbai in a West Zone leg match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament here today.
     This was the Ranji champions' third successive defeat in as many days in the tournament.
     Raval scored 53 off 26 balls, helped by eight fours and a six. His whirlwind knock enabled Saurashtra to reach a fighting 152 for 7 in 20 overs. He also took two wickets, giving away 23 runs in four overs.
	Unable to get a good start, the visitors kept losing wickets at a regular interval and were skittled out for just 92 in 18.5 overs.
     Mumbai play their last match against Maharashtra on Thursday.
     Electing to bat first, Saurashtra started off cautiously, adding 27 runs for the first wicket in 4.4 overs before captain Jaydev Shah (13 off 12 balls) departed. He was caught by Shoaib Shaikh off the bowling of right-arm medium spacer Kshemal Waingankar.
	Soon, they lost the other opener, Bhushan ...

Saurashtra thrash Mumbai in T20 tournament; Raval sparkles

Indian national football team coach Wim Koevermans today stressed on the need to groom coaches at the grassroot level to revive the sagging state of the country's football.
     The Dutchman met coaches and club representatives of six I-League teams -- four from Kolkata and two from the northeastern region.
     "We must have a strong base of coaches at the grassroot level. That will help develop the standard of football at the age-group level," Koevermans told reporters after his meeting with the club representatives.
	He also emphasised on the need to have a proper youth development programme.
	"If we have a proper programme in place, we will start getting a pool of players. But again for this to happen we need to have good coaches at the age group level," he said.
     Former Indian captain Bhaichung Bhutia, who represented his side United Sikkim FC at the meeting, spoke about the plea by the Goan clubs to have a four-year relegation freeze.
	"The AIFF should take a call on it," ...

Koevermans gives stress on grooming of grassroot coaches

Former skipper Steve Waugh has urged current captain Michael Clarke and his deputy Shane Watson to sort out their differences for the betterment of Australian cricket.
     Watson was one of the four players to be suspended from the squad ahead of the third Test against India at Mohali for failing to submit performance reviews nine days ago, fuelling rumours of a possible rift between the all-rounder and Clarke.
     Former Australian captains Waugh, Mark Taylor and Allan Border wanted the Test skipper to draw intensively on the advice of his deputy in assembling the 2011 Argus review of national team performance.
     "Part of the Argus report we recommended was we wanted an increased role for the vice captain as we felt the captain and vice captain had to work together in Australia's rebuilding phase," Waugh told 'Courier Mail'.
     "They will have to work and fix it up. To Michael and Mickey's credit they have said this is the way we want to do things, if you want to play for ...

Clarke and Watson need to sort out differences, says Waugh

Sachin Tendulkar today said that he was scared of breaking down in front of Yuvraj Singh when he met the left-handed batsman in London after his treatment in the United States for a rare germ cell cancer.
     "When I went to meet him in London, I was telling my wife (Anjali) that I don't want to break down when I see him. I met him and gave him a tight hug. We enjoyed a meal and from the way he (Yuvraj) ate, I was convinced that he is back on track," Tendulkar told a select gathering during the release of Yuvraj's book "The Test of My Life'.
     It was a poignant evening today with the likes of Tendulkar, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and latest batting star Virat Kohli recollecting stories and their emotional experience during Yuvraj's fight with cancer.
     "When I saw my wife discussing medical terms with Yuvraj, I realised what he has been going through. He is like my younger brother and I would ask God why it (the illness) had to happen to Yuvraj," Tendulkar said in an ...

I did not want to break down in front of Yuvi: Sachin

Under-fire Australia coach Mickey Arthur has played down the talk of Mike Hussey coming out of retirement in the wake of the team's disastrous show in the ongoing Test series in India.
     Arthur termed the question whether Hussey could come back into the team for the Ashes series later this year as 'hypothetical'.
     "We'd certainly listen to Mike Hussey if Mike Hussey came knocking at our door. But that's hypothetical at the moment. He's retired. We've moved on now, you know?" Arthur said.
     "Yeah, we miss him (Hussey). We also miss the aura of Ricky Ponting, but I'm hoping that these younger players will take over that mantle in time to come. I'm confident we've got the best players here... (but) they're nowhere near ready yet," he was quoted as saying by the Australian media.
     On his part, Hussey last week denied any interest in returning to the national side.
     "Nah, I don't think so," he had said when asked about his possible comeback.
     The 37-year-old Hussey, ..

Mike Hussey's return is hypothetical, says Arthur

Gaganjeet Bhullar is now the top Indian golfer in world rankings as he achieved a career-best ranking of 85 after his runner-up finish at the Avantha Masters last Sunday.
     Bhullar's previous best was 88th achieved towards the end of last year.
     Jeev Milkha Singh, who once ranked in the top-30, is the second best Indian at 104th place. In March 2009, Jeev was ranked 28th, the best-ever by an Indian. He was in the top-50 for a total of 68 weeks between late 2006 and early 2009.
     Anirban Lahiri is ranked 158th and Shiv Kapur is at 204th.
     Bhullar, a four-time Asian Tour winner, is now on top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit where he leads with earnings of USD 262,648.
     "There were plenty of positives from the week. I was hitting it straight throughout the tournament and my iron-striking also improved. My course management has improved a lot over the last seven years on the Asian Tour," said Bhullar.
     The 24-year-old will continue his rivalry with Aiken at the USD .

Bhullar is India's top player in world rankings

Australia coach Mickey Arthur today said captain Michael Clarke would doing everything to get fit for the fourth and the final Test against India, commencing here on Friday.
     "He is in a bit of pain, but with Michael Clarke, you can never say never," said Arthur.
     "He will give himself every opportunity to get himself ready for the Test, no doubt about that. That will pan out closer to the time and will give him every opportunity to get up for it because he is such a vital cog in our team," he told the Australian media.
     Clarke is struggling with a recurring sore back and he batted with a lot of discomfort in the third Test at Mohali.
     Arthur said that the team management would certainly not put Clarke at risk.
     "We certainly wouldn't put Pup (Clarke) at risk for what we've got ahead of us. We'll cross that bridge when we have to but that will ultimately be his decision, obviously with some help from our medical team," the coach said.

Clarke will give himself every opportunity to get fit: Arthur

Gaganjeet Bhullar, who achieved his career-best world ranking of 85 after his runner-up finish at the Avantha Masters, will be looking to move up further as he forms a part of the strong Asian challenge at the Maybank Malaysian Open starting Thursday.
     Bhullar, a four-time winner on Asian Tour and once on European Challenge Tour, is also looking at good finishes on the co-sanctioned events to ensure full playing rights on the European Tour in 2014. Good results could also see him make the PGA Championships, the season's last Major, later in the year in August.
     Meanwhile former Asian Tour Order of Merit winners Jeev Milkha Singh of India, Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and China's Liang Wen-chong besides the 2012 Order of Merit winner, Thaworn Wiratchant will also be in the field.
     Jeev, a two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit number one, cut his professional teeth in Malaysia during his early days and is delighted to return to the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club where he ...

Jeev, Bhullar lead strong Indian challenge at Malaysian Open

Delhi produced a clinical bowling display to beat Himachal Pradesh by four wickets in a low-scoring match in the North Zone leg of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, here today.
     Opting to field after winning the toss, leg-spinner Varun Sood (3/22) starred with the ball as Delhi came up with a disciplined bowling effort to restrict HP to 109 for seven
     Seamer Parminder Awana struck early for Delhi as he dismissed opener Sangram Singh in the third ball of the match with HP yet to open its account.
     HP batsmen never got going as they lost wickets  at regular intervals and were struggling at 43 for four at the half way stage of their innings.
     Coming at number five, Rishi Dhawan did try to break the shackles as played a few shots in his 38-run knock off 33 balls that included two fours and a six.
     But after the fall of Dhawan's wicket, no other batsmen could provide impetus to HP's innings and could only manage a meagre 109 for seven.
     Besides Sood, Awana ...

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