Sports News

TERRY JENNER, better known as Shane Warne's mentor and coach, is all set to become the first foreign coach of the Delhi Ranji team.

IN THE past one year, Indian archery has witnessed the best and the worst of times. While Dola Banerjee brought home laurels when she won the World title in Dubai last year, the male archers failed to make it to the team competition in the Olympics.

ONE IS a basketball player of the past, who has played with the likes of Michael Jordan, while the other is as popular today for his amazing long rangers as for his good looks. Both are in India now, to serve a common purpose - 'get more people interested in this game so that one day an Indian player will also play in the NBA.

Normally, one wouldn't feel too inclined to give too much of a chance to a team chasing a target over 300. But it's different here in Karachi; 300 has almost been a par score and teams have chased down such totals rather comfortably.

ZAHEER KHAN, India's pace spearhead, could miss out on a part of the forthcoming three-Test series beginning in Sri Lanka on July 23 after being advised to play 'at least two 3-4 day matches' to assess his fitness. Zaheer, who has been suffering from a recurring heel injury (plantar fascia) on his left foot, underwent rigorous training at the National Cricket Academy from June 21- June 30.

IN A country where most hockey players don't get a chance to practice on astro-turf, it's surprising that a turf is lying under-utilised for years. The turf at Badal village in Punjab, laid in 2000, is a perfect example of infrastructure worth crores lying in a state of disuse.

IT WAS around this time last year that the Indian football team left for Portugal on an exposure-cum-training trip.

WICKET-KEEPING LEGEND Wasim Bari feels wicketkeeper batsmen have ceased to exist. "They all are batsmen-wicketkeepers," comes the tongue-in-cheek remark.

IN A do-or-die match for them, the hosts, typically, put in an improved performance to stay in the hunt for a place in the final.

GRAPPLING WITH injuries, Steven Dias, N.S. Manju and Sandeep Nandi run the risk of being ruled out of the AFC Challenge Cup if they don't recover by the July 22 warm-up match against Malaysia.

SELDOM DOES one see people flocking to the Ambedkar Stadium to watch the national team train. Sunday was on of those days, but unfortunately, the players were absent.

PAKISTAN cricket is on a boil. On the field, the team's performances have been going from bad to worse, while off it, a plethora of controversies and a barrage of allegations and counter allegations have hardly made things easier for Shoaib Malik's men.

Thank god, the beautiful game is back. It was Greece and their dull and dour tactics that stole the show four years ago. It was uninteresting for everyone not a Greek or the odd German called Otto Rehhagel. They defended and defended, made their own half a congested jungle of feet but won.

IT WAS bound to happen. Someone, somewhere was certain to cry out in protest, given the amount of cricket India have been playing for some time now.

WHAT IS better: playing a sport or watching it? Sorry, this question is not meant for those who think cricket is the only sport worth playing. Let us face the harsh reality that there is more to life than cricket, cricket and more cricket.

IT WAS supposed to be another lop-sided match. India came into the game trouncing all opposition in the first round, and Bangladesh weren't expected to test the rampaging Indian side.

THE MOTOR SPORTS Association of India (MAI) has decided to appeal the decision of the international body (FIA) to strip it off all sporting powers in the country and transfer it back to their rival, the Federation of Motor Sports Club in India (FMSCI).'

WHEN BHAICHUNG Bhutia, Sunil Chhetri and Steven Dias go through the paces under the watchful eyes of national coach Bob Houghton, one is bound to talk football. But discussions changed direction on Friday when Houghton was quizzed on the possibility of an Indian Premier League in football. "I love cricket and there is no doubt about that," said Houghton. "But not IPL.

ROWING MAY not be a popular sport in the country but Naib Subedar Hanuman Lal Thakur has dedicated his life to the sport. The Armyman is reaping the reward of his hard work, having qualified for the Beijing Olympics in single sculls.

ONE WONDERED if one had heard it right - Muttiah Muralitharan admitting that cricket was getting tough for him! 'Yes, cricket is actually getting tough. When you are around for such a long time, and players have seen so much of you, it does get tough,' he reaffirmed.