• Manav Mangal meet Bhavan-27 in final
• CBSE inter-school basketball results
• Atray tournament rescheduled
• TN, Orissa move into final
• Meet postponed

Paes to meet Rusedski

NOTTINGHAM, Sept 24 (PTI) — India number one Leander Paes today drew to meet world number eleven Greg Rusedski in the opening singles of their Davis Cup world group play-off tie against Britain to be played here from tomorrow.

Mahesh Bhupathi will take on Tim Henman, the current British top seed who enjoys a world ranking of 15 in the second singles, according to the draw made at the Nottingham Tennis Centre here today.

"It is a good draw for us. It is the draw India was hoping for," Indian non-playing captain Jaidip Mukherjea told PTI after the draw.

With Leander Paes taking on Rusedski, coming out of a bad ankle injury he suffered during this year’s Wimbledon championship, "we have a draw which we can build upon. Though the tie looked very tough, everything now depends on Paes giving India a good start," Mukherjea added.

Paes and Bhupathi, ranked world number three in doubles, are expected to meet Henman and Neil Broad who have been named for doubles by British non-playing captain John Lloyd.

"We have got a fair draw," said John Lloyd after the draw and asserted that the Canada-born Rusedski, last year’s U.S. Open finalist, was showing full fitness ahead of the tie.

India, who start as clear underdogs against Britain, will be hoping that both Paes and Bhupathi produce their usual Davis Cup heroics to enable them put it across in the tie held on plexipave hard courts.

India thrashed Britain 4-1 on grass in the world group play-off tie in 1992 and since then the latter have been unable to bounce back into the elite 16-member world group.

India had a job on their hands but Mukherjea felt nothing was impossible. Though both Rusedski and Henman were ranked very high "Leander has the potential to cause an upset as he is a very good Davis Cup player," he said.

"It can be said to be the best draw for India with Leander in good nick after his sensational upset of Sampras a month ago," he added.

Paes claimed his first ATP title at the New Port, Rhode Island grass court event, and then stunned the American world number one on his way to the semifinals at the Pilot Pen hardcourt event in New Haven ahead of US Open.

Though India had always opted for grass at home, playing on hardcourt was not exactly a major handicap. "I hope it does not make much difference as our boys are now used to these courts," he said.

Bhupathi won a singles in India’s 1-4 loss to Italy on slow clay in Genoa this April and they are definitely better off with the return of Paes, who missed that tie due to a shoulder injury.

The 25-year-old Indian currently ranked number 88 after touching a personal best of 73 before the U.S. Open is in fine form and this should be a major encouragement.

The Indians, training with Prahlad Srinath and Syed Fazaluddin as the other members, have found the courts here a bit slow and balls heavier. This could help the Canada-born Rusedski, last year’s U.S. Open finalist who is endowed with a booming serve.

John Lloyd said though Britain were overwhelming favourites to win the tie, they were keeping their fingers crossed as the Indian duo were capable of upsetting any opponents in Davis Cup on their day.

"This is true more on grass courts. We had the option and we went for acryllic court as we know Indians perform well on grass," he said after the draw.

But India can hope to apply pressure if they can end the opening day on level terms. "Henman will start a very strong favourite to beat Bhupathi but on his day Paes can beat anyone in the world and I wanted him to play the opening singles," Mukherjea added.

Rusedski was also wary of Paes: "He is a very attacking player who will chip and charge everything. He is a very flashy player. Sometimes he gets everything in, other times everything goes out. It will be a tough match."

Henman, who regained the British number one spot after the US Open said: "With the team we have, we belong in the world group and we realise the importance of this tie."

If India manage to take the tie to the final day by clinching a singles tomorrow and the doubles on Saturday, the pressure could well be on the British.

The rise and fall of Ben Johnson

LONDON, Sept 24 (Reuters) — With the luxury of hindsight, Ben Johnson’s rise and fall at the Seoul Olympics has the power and simplicity of an ancient Greek myth.

An outsider upsets the established order, incurs swift retribution from the offended gods and, eventually, harmony is restored.

But it was never quite that simple and 10 years on the Johnson drugs bust still haunts the Olympic movement.

A decade ago this Thursday, the brooding Jamaican-born Canadian with the outsize torso of a weightlifter stood in lane three among the finest sprinters ever assembled for an Olympic 100 metres final.

Three lanes to his left, defending champion Carl Lewis bounded on the balls of his feet with balletic grace, a gloriously gifted athlete at the height of his powers.

Separated by Linford Christie and Calvin Smith, the pair settled under starter’s orders.

At the gun, Johnson literally leapt from the blocks, propelled by those improbably powerful arms.

At 50 metres he was almost two metres ahead of Lewis, at 80 the margin was the same, at the finish he crossed the line like a runaway express train in an incredible 9.79 seconds, still the fastest time ever recorded without wind assistance.

It was though, assisted by a steroid also used to fatten cattle for market. A test at the Olympic doping centre showed up traces of the drug. His yellow, bulging eyes were the give-away.

Three days later, Johnson was hustled though Kimpo Airport by 50 security guards after the biggest drugs bust in Olympics history, a temporary hero now turned international pariah.

Retribution was swift and savage.

Johnson’s gold medal and world record were removed. In the following year athletics’ world governing body took its revenge. Expunging his 1987 world title and previous world mark from the record books even though he had passed all drug tests at the Rome World Championships.

Harmony, though, was not and has not been restored either to the Olympic movement or the major sport of the games.

After Johnson’s expulsion, the Seoul Games became bathed in an increasingly unreal light.

Florence Griffith Joyner, who recently died suddenly of a heart seizure at the age of 38, took centre stage before an adoring public but a by now sceptical international media.

Better known for her preposterously long fingernails and outlandish outfits than her sprinting ability, Griffith Joyner reinvented herself in Olympic year as a world record-breaker with a freakish 10.49 seconds over 100 m at the US trials.

Disbelievers on her arrival in Seoul noted her bulging muscles and curiously deep voice and drew their own conclusions. Flo Jo, they decided, was fuelled either by steroids or human growth hormone. She denied the charges.

Her news conference after setting a world record 21.34 seconds in the 200m final became increasingly hostile as Flo-Jo was asked to explain her sudden improvement.

"Hard work and dedication," Flo Jo replied at one stage. "Hard work and what?" shouted one cynic. "Medication?"

The Johnson scandal combined with suspicions over Griffith Joyner and a host of other athletes in a variety of sports changed the face of the Olympics forever.

Previously, most observers had been prepared to suspend their disbelief despite increasing anecdotal evidence that drug use was widespread in athletics and other Olympic sports.

Now that a major figure was revealed as a cheat the mood darkened and a Canadian government inquiry in 1989 cast a shadow over track and field which has never been removed.

Charles Dubin, an associate chief justice of the Ontario Supreme Court, heard evidence from Johnson and his coach Charlie Francis detailing systematic drug use since November, 1981.

Francis’s evidence was chilling.

The coach said no clean sprinter could hope to survive in the modern era and pointed to the evidence of the East Germans who he said benefitted from a state-controlled doping programme.

Documentary evidence since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 support Francis’s allegations.

A subsequent book from the defrocked coach shows drugs were merely a part, albeit an essential part, of a broad programme designed to produce world class sprinters.

Johnson served his two-year suspension before returning to competition in time for a an unsuccessful campaign at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Before the games Jason Livingston, a little-known British sprinter known as "Baby Ben" because of his resemblance to, and admiration for, the Canadian sprinter, tested positive.

During the Olympics it was announced Katrin Krabbe, the double 1991 world sprint champion, had tested positive. The athletics world appeared to be unravelling.

Barcelona, though, was possibly the nadir for the International Amateur Athletic Federation and no comparable scandals have emerged in the past six years although there has been a steady stream of positive drug tests.

In the wider sporting context, the Olympic movement has taken its worst battering this year just two years before the first Games of the new millennium.

Police raids on the Tour de France revealed widespread drug taking and a series of scandals in other sports have forced the International Olympic Committee to call a special drugs conference for early next year.

At the eye of the storm lies Johnson, banned for life in 1993 for excessive levels of the male sex hormone testosterone.

On Monday by tragic coincidence the same day as Griffith Joyner’s premature death, Johnson had confidently anticipated an Ontario court would uphold his lawyers’ argument that the ban was in restraint of trade.

Instead, the court denied the application and Johnson’s desperately fragile illusion that he could return to running at the age of 36 was surely shattered beyond repair.

Johnson's agent and manager, Morris Chrobotek, had said Johnson would try to take his case to Canada's supreme court if he lost the appeal in Ontario.

Johnson, 36, trains almost full-time in the hope of becoming eligible to race again. He says the ban is unfair because it prevents him from working.
"I'm human being, allowed to make a living. This is my job," he said last week.

Allegations baseless, says Sachin

MUMBAI, Sept 24 (PTI) — Sachin Tendulkar has decried the insinuating remarks made in the aftermath of the Indian team’s dismal show in the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games and said the allegation that he was "influenced in any way to play at one venue over the other" was "wild and baseless".

Tendulkar, in a statement to PTI prior to departing for Zimbabwe with other members of the Indian team early today, also stated that such allegations are made by those who are interested in damaging his reputation and that of the board to the detriment of Indian cricket.

"When the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was deciding on the composition of the teams to be sent to each tournament (Commonwealth Games and Sahara Cup at Toronto), I was informed by the BCCI that I may play in either tournament and possibly both and I stated that I would be happy to serve my country at any venue," he said.

"My interest is, and always will be, to give my best for my country in whatever team I am selected to play in. Neither I, nor anybody with whom I am associated, has anything to do with the selection of the Indian cricket team.

"It was the BCCI’s decision to send me to the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and subsequently to Toronto to play the final game of the Sahara Cup," Tendulkar stated.

"As a member of the Indian squad I go wherever I am told to go by the board and give the very best for my country. I therefore, regret the baseless and wild suggestion that I was being influenced in any way to play in one venue over the other", Tendulkar stated.

"Such allegations can only be put about by those seeking to damage my reputation and that of the board to the detriment of Indian cricket generally", he concluded.

Tendulkar’s strongly-worded statement has come in the wake of allround criticism of the team’s poor performance at Kuala Lumpur where it failed to beat a full-strength Australia, eventual silver medallists, and enter the semifinals.

There were reports, too, from Kuala Lumpur that ticket bookings had been made prior to India’s crunch league match against Australia for Tendulkar, Ajay Jadeja, Anil Kumble and Robin Singh to fly and join the rest of the Mohammed Azharuddin-led side at Toronto.

Yesterday Indian Olympic Association’s president Suresh Kalmadi had slammed the attitude of the cricketers at the Kuala Lumpur games and declared that the cricket team would not be sent for future games.

An angry Mr Kalmadi, on his arrival at Delhi from Kuala Lumpur, had dubbed the cricket team as a "distraction to the Olympic movement" and said they were only interested in commercial gains and their heart was towards Toronto. "The cricketers were simply not interested in medals," he said.

"We have to think hard about cricket in future. In fact, I told Prince Edward (chairman of the Games Federation) that if England itself as head of the Commonwealth fraternity does not field a team, India will not do it at Manchester in the next Games," Mr Kalmadi had stated to the media.

But he was all praise for the rest of the contingent and said India had done well in all disciplines. "Even in hockey where we did not win a medal, they went all out," he had said to rub it in more on the cricket team led by Jadeja.

The IOA and the BCCI were at loggerheads over the composition of the Indian team in the run-up to the Games with the former insisting that the "best" team should be sent and the board stating that it would not stand being dictated to by the IOA as the board was not its affiliated unit.

Finally, after a prolonged war of words the board, "in all its wisdom" decided to send "two equally formidable" teams to both Kuala Lumpur and Toronto, while at the same time saying that it was not doing this under any pressure from any quarters, including the IOA.

Both the teams flopped miserably with the Games squad failing to make the last four and the Sahara Cup squad — which had the services of Jadeja for the last two ties and Tendulkar for the final clash - losing 1-4 to arch-rivals Pakistan.

'We have had enough of mud-slinging'

CALCUTTA, Sept 24 (UNI) — The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has ruled out any meeting with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on the Indian cricket team’s performance at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Talking to UNI here today board president Raj Singh Dungarpur, who was re-elected to his post yesterday, said. "We will have no meeting with them. We have had enough of mud-slinging."

"As the head of a body with dignity, I do not want to get into this. We do not want to interact with the IOA anymore", Mr Dungarpur said.

Board secretary Jaywant Lele also confirmed that the BCCI would not hold any discussion with the IOA to review the Indian team’s performance at Kuala Lumpur. "There is no meeting on the anvil. There is nothing to discuss," Mr Lele added.

Asked to comment on the allegations raised by the IOA that the cricket team put up a poor show intentionally, Mr Dungarpur said "I have no comments to offer on this issue. The games are over and the board does not wish to look back or question the performance of the team." He said that nothing could be said of an one-day game and, perhaps the IOA does not understand this.

"I will say nothing more. That is the long and short of it", the board president stated. On the same issue Mr Lele said "a lot has been said against us. We did our best. But we don’t want to join in this mud-slinging game."

Assistant chef-de-mission of the Commonwealth contingent M.S. Bali had held a press conference in Kuala Lumpur where he had openly charged Sachin Tendulkar, Ajay Jadeja, Robin Singh and Anil Kumble with intentionally sabotaging the cricket team’s chances.

He had also produced a photocopy of an air ticket which, he claimed, had been booked for the four players for Toronto.

He had alleged that the board had prior plans of flying the four players to Toronto for the Sahara Cup immediately after losing to Australia.

Indians arrive in Zimbabwe

BULAWAYO, Sept 24 (Reuters) — A reunified Indian squad arrived in Zimbabwe today intent on repairing the damage caused by weeks of public squabbling on the sub-continent.

Debate raged across the country following the decision by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to send separate teams of roughly equal strength to the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and to Toronto’s Sahara Cup, which were played virtually simultaneously this month.

The move backfired when both sides returned empty-handed. Led by Ajay Jadeja in Malaysia, India were eliminated by Australia before the medal rounds, while in Canada, Mohammad Azharuddin’s men committed the Indian unmentionable by losing to Pakistan.

India, back under Azharuddin’s captaincy, will hope to put much of that right in the three one-day internationals and one Test match on this tour against what many will consider teams they ought to beat.

The first two limited-overs games will be played at Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club on Saturday and Sunday.

"With two teams it was a bit tight and it’s good to be back together, among the best," Azharuddin said on the squad’s arrival in Bulawayo. "The board did what they had to do and I have no complaints, but it is motivating to be one team again."

Azharuddin acknowledged his team’s recent failures but felt the Zimbabwean tour could be exactly what was required ahead of a tough international season.

"A lot of the boys have been here before, so we know the conditions," Azharuddin said.

"There is certainly room for improvement in our play at the moment and hopefully we can start well because we have a lot of matches to play."

History favours the tourists, who have won and drawn the two Test matches played between these countries and won 14 of 18 one-day internationals, two of which were tied.

However, Zimbabwean coach David Houghton is not about to have his team written off on the evidence of past performances. "They are a team we can beat and we’re certainly not too worried about playing them, although they do have one or two world class players.

"This weekend is important for us because right this second will be the easiest time to get at them.

"They’ve had a long flight and have basically got 24 hours to get themselves right for the first game. So if we can win on Saturday and Sunday I think we can dominate the whole series."

Zimbabwe themselves have a point to prove in the one-day series following the Commonwealth Games. Convincing victories over Jamaica and Malaysia were followed by a lacklustre showing in the 13-run loss to Sri Lanka.

"We played pretty well until it really counted," Houghton said. "We should have done and dusted Sri Lanka by the afternoon drinks break.

"But for the start of the season I was happy that we played well enough overall. We had one bad day."

Squads:
Zimbabwe: Alistair Campbell (captain), Andy Flower, Murray Goodwin, Craig Evans, Gary Brent, Paul Strang, Andrew Whittal, Mluleki Nkala, John Rennie, Craig Wishart, Heath Streak, Adam Huckle, Trevor Madondo, Mpumolelo Mbangwa.

India: Mohammad Azharuddin (captain), Ajay Jadeja, Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Rahul Dravid, Nayan Mongia, Rahul Sanghvi, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Javagal Srinath, Debasis Mohanty, Ajit Agarkar, Robin Singh.

Tour itinerary:
Sept 26 — First one-day international, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.
Sept 27: Second one-day international, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.
Sept 30: Third one-day international, Harare Sports Club.
Oct 2-4: President’s XI v India, Sunrise Sports Club, Harare.
Oct 7-11: Test match, Harare Sports Club.

Aussies out to 'win every game'

KARACHI, Sept 24 (Reuters) — Australia captain Mark Taylor believes his side can overcome an unfriendly schedule and win every game on their tour of Pakistan.

The Australians begin with a four-day match against Karachi, starting tomorrow, but this is their only game before the first Test on October 1 and there are only two more between the remaining two Tests.

"Ideally we would have liked to play two games before the Test series started," said 33-year-old Taylor after the team’s strenuous workout at the National Stadium yesterday.

"But we had one warm-up game here last time and we played it right. So, we have to make sure that we give everything in the next four days."

"We are here to play good cricket and that can only be achieved by winning every match," the Australian captain said.

Taylor’s batsman face a tough start against a Karachi attack spearheaded by Waqar Younis. He is aiming to prove his fitness after missing the Sahara Cup against India because of the elbow injury that also prevented him from playing a full season with Glamorgan in the English county championship.

Karachi, the Quaid-i-Azam trophy champions, have also named Pakistan skipper Aamir Sohail, pinch-hitter Shahid Afridi and the world’s youngest Test player, Hasan Raza, in their line-up.

Australia give leg-spinner Stuart MacGill an early opportunity to adjust to the conditions and strengthen his claim for a place in the Test side in the absence of Shane Warne.

Glenn McGrath, who missed the Commonwealth Games and played just one game for New South Wales before joining the tour party, leads the attack.

Damien Fleming will be 12th man but Darren Lehman and Colin Miller have been left out.

Teams:
Australia: Mark Taylor (captain), Steve Waugh, Michael Slater, Mark Waugh, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Ian Healy, Stuart MacGill, Gavin Robertson, Michael Kasprowicz, Glenn McGrath.

Karachi (from): Aamir Sohail (captain), Waqar Younis, Shahid Afridi, Hasan Raza, Ali Husain Rizvi, Saeed Azad, Suleman Huda, Farhan Adil, Atiz-uz-Zaman, Ali Gohar, Zafar Iqbal, Azam Khan, Iqbal Imam.

Umpires: Salim Badar, Riazuddin.

World billiards meet from today

AHMEDABAD, Sept 24 (PTI) — World number one and top seed Mike Russel of England said today the Florsheim World Professional Billards Championship, with a prize money of £ 40,000, starting here tomorrow, would be an open meet.

The 29-year-old reigning champion, who chalked up a score of 483 during the practice session, told reporters, "There are a lot of youngsters who could win the championship. Like Chris Shutt of England can come up with a 500 plus score quite easily and turn the match round.

Second seeded Geet Sethi of India is another player who could win this championship because he is playing on his home turf. I had lost to Geet at the British Open in March and he is in good nick this season," he added.

However, the world number two, Sethi, said Russel is definitely the favourite though not odds on favourite to win.

Both Russel and Sethi along with world number three Peter Gilchrist of England and world number five Robby Foldvari of Australia have just returned from down under after taking part in Lindrup Masters, a multi-pool event with a prize money of £ 50,000.

Meanwhile, Calcutta-based cuiest Manoj Kothari has got a bye into the second round as his first round opponent Aditya Goenka has pulled out of the meet due to personal reasons.

Top eight players in the world, including two other Indians Ashok Shandilya and Devendra Joshi (both Mumbai), would be seen in action from September 27 as they have been given bye till the third round.

Russel, who has already won two international titles — Northern Open and World Match Play — this season said there are a lot of good players in the top eight, including world number four Roxton Chapman, sixth seed David Causier (both Englishmen), Joshi and Shandilya, which has made the game more competitive.

The top seeded Briton won the last world championship at Mumbai in 1996 while the championship was not held last year due to lack of sponsors.

Sethi, who was instrumental in getting the championship to Ahmedabad said he was very keen to organise it in Ahmedabad, which has produced players like him, Sonic Multani and Rupesh Shah, among others.

"In March this year I tied-up with Fortune Landmark Hotel and put up the proposal, from then on every thing went smoothly and I am very happy to conduct a world championship for the first time in the city. Infact this could be the first world meet in any sport here," the former world champion said.

Sethi, who won the UK Open this season beating Roxton Chapman in the final, said he was in good nick and was confident of doing well.

Sethi will play the winners of former champion Subhash Agrawal and Manoj Kothari in the third round while Chapman will take on the winner of B. Bhaskar of India and Ian Williamson of England in his first match on September 27.

The winner of this championship will be richer by £ 10,400 (around Rs 7.28 lakh).

The runner-up will take home £ 6,400 (around Rs 4.48 lakh) while the losing semifinalists will collect £ 3,200 (around Rs 2.24 lakh) each.

The cueist who makes it to the last eight stage stands to gain Rs 1.14 lakh while the losers in the pre-quarterfinals would make Rs 57,000. The losers in the second round will get Rs 28,500, the cueist posting the highest break will win £ 800 (around Rs 56,000).

The championship, to be telecast live on Doordarshan, will end on September 30.

Tomorrow Eugene Hughes and Peter Sheehan would be the two foreign cueists to be seen in action while well-known Indians like veteran Arvind Savur of Karnataka, Mukesh Rehani of Delhi, the youngest national champion in both juniors and seniors Rupesh Shah of Ahmedabad and former junior national champion Alok Kumar of Punjab will pit their skills against their lesser known countrymen.

On the second day, former three time world amateur champion Michael Ferreira and Nalin Patel (both from Mumbai) will play their first matches.

Talented Chris Shutt, veteran Bob Close and Ian Williamson will also be seen in action on September 26.

The matches would be of four-hour duration from quarterfinal onwards while the first three rounds would be over two hours.

Opening ceremony venue shifted
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 24 — Inclement weather for the past few days has forced the organisers of the Special Olympics National Games to shift the opening ceremony of the Games to the Panjab University Gymnasium tomorrow morning. Originally, the opening ceremony was to be held at the university track.

Due to the change in the venue of the ceremony, some of the items, which includes helicopters fly past, may be curtailed.

An overcast sky and intermittent showers forced the participants indoors throughout the day today. Mrs Promila Chandra Mohan, organising secretary of the meet, said all competitions in track and field, table tennis, volleyball, handball, cycling, cricket, swimming, badminton, basketball, skating and unified sports would be held. She was hopeful that the weather would open up in a day or so to facilitate holding of outdoor events. All indoor events would start tomorrow as scheduled, she added.

More than 2,000 participants and 600 officials are already in the city for this third edition of the Special Olympics National Games. The inaugural Games were held in Chennai in 1991 and the second in Hyderabad in 1995.

Mr G. Manavalam, Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment in the Union Government, who was expected here at the opening ceremony, will now come on September 29 for the closing ceremony.

Mrs Mohan said the North-West Zone Special Olympics Society was formed in 1990. It was a non-government organisation and has been conducting regional games on annual basis since 1993. At present, there are 26 institutions with special children affiliated to it. Some of the special children of the region had already represented the country in the Special Olympics held in New Haven, USA, in 1995 and the Winter Olympic Games in Toronto in 1997.

Mrs Mohan said society was organising these Games for the first time in north India. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Chandigarh Administration, Rotary International and others are helping the society in the conduct of the Games. She also appreciated the help extended by Panjab University in allowing the use of hostels, guest houses, playfields and indoor stadium for the Games.

C'wealth medallists honoured

NEW DELHI, Sept 24 (PTI) — Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi today announced that the apex sports body would rope in foreign coaches in a big way to boost Indian medal hopes in future international events.

IOA debated the issue at Kuala Lumpur during the just-ended 16th Commonwealth Games there and in cases where the government found salaries of such foreign experts too high, IOA was ready to chip in, Kalmadi added while felicitating medal winners at the games in an impressive function today.

Pistol ace Jaspal Rana again led the list of medal winners as they were honoured with cash prizes by IOA. Individual gold, silver and bronze medallist received Rs 20,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively.

In team events, the amount was divided equally in shooting pairs. For badminton teams, the men’s silver winning members were given Rs 5,000 each and bronze medal winning women players received Rs 3,000 each.

India claimed 25 medals, one better than their effort in the Victoria Games four years ago and their effort of seven gold, 10 silver and eight bronze was excellent as wrestling which normally accounted for a clutch of medals was not part of the Games in Malaysia.

Kalmadi once again decried the performance of the cricket team, which failed to even reach the semifinals and pledged more IOA support for "Olympic events". The cricketers themselves behaved in an exemplary fashion, but it was time the country’s youth gave their backing to other successful sportspersons.

Indian medal count is sure to go up at the 2002 Games in Manchester as women’s weightlifting has been included, IOA secretary general Randhir Singh, elected vice-president of the Games Federation in Kuala Lumpur, said. International Olympic committee member Ashiwini Kumar, gave away cash awards with union sports secretary Bhaskar Baruah.

But IOA struck a jarring note by announcing, but not giving away, any cash award for coaches at the function.

Madhumita Bisht, who was part of the bronze winning women’s badminton squad, said: "It is a great personal feeling that I can still play at that level." The 33-year-old eight-time national champion and Olympian, said things worked out well this time as luck had not always been India’s ally.

The Indian eves, led by 20-year-old Aparna Popat, won bronze after downing third seeds Scotland and whipping Wales 4-1 in the league stage to reach the summit league. "In the 1996 Uber Cup we beat Wales and Scotland 3-2, but here we won 4-1 which was great."

The seasoned campaigner who stretched English great Helen Troke fully in the singles quarter-finals of the 1990 Auckland Games was thrilled at Aparna’s incredible comeback from 3-10 in the decider to beat Julia Mann (England) in singles semis.

"I was praying as she saved each match point (Aparna saved five in all). But Aparna was too drained in the final and Kelly Morgan (Welsh world number 10) was too good."

Rana, who clinched two golds and two silvers, said he spoiled two final cards and had to borrow his sister Sushma’s weapon due to his pistol malfunctioning midway through the air pistol event. "It could have been gold instead of silver," he said.

Six French players in all-star team

FRANKFURT, Sept 24 (Reuters) — Europe’s leading national coaches yesterday voted for six players from world champions France in a special European all-star team based on performances at this year’s World Cup finals.

Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Laurent Blanc, Didier Deschamps, Emmanuel Petit and Zinedine Zidane were all included in the team which was voted for by national coaches at a UEFA conference to review the competition.

England’s emerging young striker Michael Owen, who scored a spectacular goal against Argentina in the second round, was the only player to be included from a country which failed to reach the semifinals of the competition.

Dutchman Edwin Van Der Sar was selected in goal with compatriot Frank De Boer and Edgar Davids also in the team. Croatian striker Davor Suker, top scorer in the competition, completed the line-up.

Team: Edwin Van Der Sar (Netherlands), Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Laurent Blanc (all France), Frank De Boer (Netherlands), Didier Deschamps (France), Emmanuel Petit (France), Edgar Davids (Netherlands), Zinedine Zidane (France), Michael Owen (England), Davor Suker (Croatia)

Substitutes: Peter Schmeichel (Denmark), Bixente Lizarazu (France), Sol Campbell (England), Fernando Hierro (Spain), Paolo Maldini (Italy), Ronald De Boer (Netherlands), Robert Jarni (Croatia), David Beckham (England), Zvonimir Boban (Croatia), Christian Vieri (Italy), Dennis Bergkamp (Netherlands).

India finish 2nd in Bangkok judo meet

NEW DELHI, Sept 24 (PTI) — With a rich haul of 12 medals, India finished second in the 1998 Bangkok International Judo Tournament which ended in Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday.

The 12-member Indian team won four gold, three silver and five bronze medals leaving Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Macau and Vietnam behind in the medal tally, according to a Judo Federation of India release here yesterday.

Kamla Rawat (48 kg), Arvind Kumar (60 kg), Yashpal Solanki (81 kg) and Jagbeer Singh (100 kg) bagged the four gold for India while Anuradha (52 kg), Bhupinder Singh (66 kg) and Ashwani Kumar (100 kg) won the silver medals.

Dharmender Singh (73 kg), Rakesh Kumar (90 kg), Jyotinder Kaur (57 kg), Jagjeet Kaur (63 kg) and Landhoni Devi (70 kg) bagged the bronze medals in the tournament in which 12 teams vied for top honours, the release added.

CBSE inter-school basketball results
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 24 — DAV Sr Sec School, Sector 8, Chandigarh defeated Bhawan Vidayalaya by 30 points in the inaugural match of the CBSE Inter-School Basketball (Cluster-XI) Tournament that started at Pandit Mohan Lal S.D Public school, Sector 32-C, here today.

Twenty teams from U.T and Himachal Pradesh are participating in the tournament.

The chief guest Mr K.K Sharma, PCS (retd), inaugurated the tournament and declared the meet open.

Results:

Boys: DAV Sr. Sec, Sector 8, b Bhawan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, by 30 points, Guru-Nanak Public School, Sector 36, b DAV Sr. Sec School, Sector 15, Chd by 5 points. DAV Public School Sector 8, Chandigarh lost to Laureate Public School, Shimla, by one point. Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, b Guru-Harkishan Model School, Sector 38 by 28 points.

Girls: Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, b I.S Dev Samaj Sr. Sec School, Sector 21, Chandigarh, by one point.

Atray tournament rescheduled
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 24 — Rain played spoilsport again as the second match of the fifth J P Atray Memorial Cricket Tournament was also washed out at the PCA Stadium, Mohali, due to incessant rain.

Today's match between Punjab Cricket Club and PSEB was also called off without a ball being bowled. Earlier yesterday, the match between PUNCOM XI and Chandigarh XI was also washed out completely.

The umpire for today's match, Mr Jasbir Singh and Mr Baljit Bawa, ruled out any possibility of play as water had collected in the outfield and the ground was rendered soggy. The umpires felt that even the super sopper would be ineffective and decided to abandon the match.

As two matches have been washed out, the Organising Committee has rescheduled the tournament so that the players can get the maximum opportunity to play. As per the rescheduled fixture, Punjab Cricket Club will take on PSEB on September 26 and Chandigarh XI will play PUNCOM XI on September 27. On September 28, ONGC will take on PCA Colts. The semifinals and final will be rescheduled so that they do not clash with the Katoch Shield ties.

All the matches will, however, be played at the PCA Stadium, Mohali, as scheduled.

National school shooting meet at Shimla
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 24 — The second all-India Inter-School Shooting Championship will be held at Bishop Cotton School here from September 26.

According to Colonel (retd) R. Dewan, chairman of the organising committee, the venue has been selected by the National Rifle Association of India.

The 24 firing point range in indoor halls is the only international-standard indoor shooting range in the north India. This range has been constructed as per international rules and the competition will also be conducted as per international rules and on international targets.

The National Rifle Association of India had initiated the All-India Inter-School Shooting Competition last year with the aim of propagating shooting at the grassroot level and grooming young shooters in schools. The first meet was held at Haridwar in November 1997 and about 250 participants from more than 60 schools of the country participated.

The Bishop Cotton School junior team is the current champion in the event and in the sub-junior division they were placed third at the all-India level.

Nearly 450 participants from all over the country are expected for the meet. About 50 participants are taking part from Shimla, Chamba and Kangra districts.

It is for the first time that a national-level shooting event is being held in Himachal Pradesh.

Ace shooter Jaspal Rana has been specially invited as a guest by the school to witness the competition. His presence here will greatly inspire the participants.

TN, Orissa move into final
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Sept 24 — The reigning champion Tamil Nadu today made a roaring entry in the final of All India Telecom Basketball Tournament by beating Andhra Pradesh 81-48. In the second match the last time runners-up Orissa defeated Karnataka 78-42.

Tamil Nadu built up and maintained pressure on Andhra Pradesh and excelled in speed and pressure throughout. Samvel Moris with 24 points was the top scorer of Tamil Nadu while Chander Shekher of Andhra Pradesh team made frantic efforts to check the rivals.

Orissa displayed perfect game and its SK Bohra with 24 points emerged the top scorer whereas PK Chaini scored 18 points for Karnataka.

Manav Mangal meet Bhavan-27 in final
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 24 — Manav Mangal High School, Sector 21-C, will clash with Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, in the final of Inter-School Table Tennis Tournament (boys under-14).

In the semifinals today Aditya Puri of Manav Mangal beat Shabab of GMSSS-20 in a one-sided match 21-6, 21-4 but Jatinder Kapoor was defeated by Abhishek of GMSSS 21-18, 20-22,18-21. In the doubles however, Manav Mangal thrashed GMSSS, 21-12,21-8 to advance to the title round.

In the other semifinal Bhavan Vidyalaya beat DAV Public School, Sector 8.

Meet postponed

CHANDIGARH (TNS): The inter-district tournament which were to be held from September 26 to 29 at Bathinda have been postponed due to bad weather and will now be held at the same venue from November 6 to 10, Mrs Vidya Vati, Director, Public Instruction (S), Punjab has said in a press note issued here today.