Promised much, achieved little
By K.R. Wadhwaney
The third edition of the MTNL Asia Cup Team Tennis Tournament at the DTA complex promised much but achieved precious little. There were several reasons for the competition failing to secure the desired results. Two important ones were that the players played truant and response from the spectators was lukewarm.

TTFI planning more academies
By Arvind Katyal
Chandigarh played host to the 61st edition of the Junior National Table Tennis Championships which concluded at the Sector 23 TT hall on November 25. In this six-day meet, it was either player from Bengal or Petroleum Sports Control Board Academy, Ajmer, who stole the show on all these days.

Australia third time lucky on clay
By Amitabh
Australia ruled supreme in Davis Cup on the red clay courts of Nice’s exhibition centre this year. After losing their earlier two Davis Cup finals—both on clay—to the USA in 1990 and to Germany in 1993, they proved their supremacy on the slow surface when they defeated France in Nice in the finals played from December 3 to 5.

Bhengra’s case a timely reminder
By Ramu Sharma
The Gopal Bhengra case which surfaced last week was timely reminder that there is so much to be done for our ex-internationals who have fallen on bad days. At the same it was also heartening to note that there are people and institutions which do come forward to help once their attention is drawn to the plight of these unfortunate sportsmen. The Bhengra case also served to draw attention to the fact there is yet no central body to which needy sportsmen and sportswomen could appeal for help.

Hattricks in Test cricket
By S. Pervez Qaiser

Nuwan Zoysa achieved the first ever hat-trick for Sri Lanka in Test cricket by dismissing three Zimbabwean batsmen in his very first three balls in the match at Harare. Zoysa, bowling the second over of the Zimbabwean innings, trapped Trevor Gripper leg before with his first ball. He persuaded Murray Goodwin to edge a catch to wicket keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana with his second ball. His third victim was Neil Johnson, leg before.

It was the 26th hattrick in Test cricket and the first against Zimbabwe. It is believed to be the fastest Test match hattrick in the history of the game.

The first bowler to perform the hattrick in Test cricket was Australian, Frederick Robert Spofforth, who dismissed three in a row in his six for 48 against England at Melbourne in 1878-79. Spofforth’s victims in the hattrick were V. Royle, F. MacKinnon and T. Emmett.

England’s Willie Bates was the second bowler to perform this feat. He achieved this feat against Australia at Melbourne in 1882-83 by dismissing P.S. McDonnell, G.Giffen and G.J. Bonnor in the first innings.

In the 1891-92 series against Australia at Sydney, England’s John Briggs performed the third hattrick of Test cricket. He ended Australia’s second innings with this hattrick dismissing W.F. Giffen, S.T. Callaway and J.M. Blackham.

George Alfred Lohman of England recorded the fourth hattrick in Test cricket against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in 1895-96. He ended the match on the second day with a hattrick F.J. Cook, J. Middleton and J.T. Willoughby were his victims.

The fifth bowler to perform a hattrick in Test cricket was England’s John Thomas Hearne. Hearne did the hattrick in Australia’s second innings at Leeds in 1899 when he dismissed C. Hill, S.E. Gregory and M.A. Noble, all for zero.

Australian Hugh Trumble was the first bowler in the 20th century to record the hattrick in Test cricket. Trumble performed this against England at Melbourne in the 1901-02 series by dismissing A.O. Jones, J.R. Gunn and S.F. Barnes. On his final appearance against England at Melbourne in 1903-04, Trumble performed his second hattrick, dismissing B. Bosanquet, P. Warner and A. Lilley in England’s second innings.

At Old Trafford, Manchester in 1912, Australian Thomas John Matthews created a unique Test record by taking a hattrick in each innings, both instances being on the second day of the match. T. Ward bagged a ‘king pair’ being the third victim of both hattrick. Matthew’s other victims in the hattrick were S.J. Pegler and R. Beaumount in the first innings and R.O. Smith and H.W. Taylor in the second. Matthews took all six wickets without assistance from fielders.

The eighth bowler to perform a hattrick in Test cricket was England’s Maurice Allom. Playing in his first Test match against New Zealand and Christchurch in the 1929-30 series, he took four wickets in five balls, including a hattrick in his eighth over on his first day of Test cricket. Allom’s hattrick victims were T.C. Lowry, K.C. James and F.T. Badcock.

Englishman Thomas William John Goddard was the ninth bowler to perform a hattrick. He achieved this feat by dismissing A. Nourse, N. Gordon and W. Wade in South Africa’s first innings at Johannesburg in the 1938-39 series. It was the 11th hattrick in the history of Test cricket.

In the 1957 series against the West Indies at Leeds, Peter Loader dismissed J.D. C. Goddard, S. Ramadin and R. Gilchrist in the first innings to complete the first hattrick for England in a home Test since 1899.

Slow left arms unorthodox Lindsay Kline of Australia was the 11th bowler to enter this elite club. He did the hattrick by dismissing E. Fuller, H. Tayfield and N. Adcock in South Africa’s second innings at Cape Town in 1957-58.

The first West Indian to take a hattrick in Test cricket was Wesley Hall. Hall dismissed Mushtaq Mohammed, Fazal Mehmood and Nasim-ul-Ghani in Pakistan’s first innings at Bagh-i-Jinnah, Lahore in 1958-59 to perform the feat.

In the 1960 series against England at Lord’s Geoffrey Merton Griffin became the only bowler to take a hattrick for South Africa when he dismissed M.J.K. Smith with the last ball of one over and P.M. Walker and F.S. Trueman with the first two balls of his next. It was also the first hattrick in a Test match at Lord’s. It was Griffin’s final Test match of his career.

Lance Gibbs was the second West Indian to achieve a hattrick in a Test match. Gibbs dismissed R.D. Mackay, A.T.W. Grout and F.M. Misson in Australia’s first innings at Adelaide in 1960-61 to perform the 16th hattrick in Test cricket.

The second bowler to record a hattrick on his debut was New Zealand’s off spinner Peter James Petherick. Petherick dismissed debutant Javed Miandad, Wasim Raja and Intikhab Alam in successive balls in Pakistan’s first innings at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore in the 1976-77 series.

Courtney Wales achieved the 18th hattrick in Test cricket at Brisbane in 1988-89 when he had Australian A.I.C. Dodemaide caught off his last ball in the first innings and dismissed M. Veletta and G. Wood with his first two balls in the second. It was first hattrick to involve both innings.

In the next Test of the series at Perth, Australian Merv Hughes achieved the most extended hattrick in Test history, having ended the first innings by dismissing Curtly Ambrose with the last ball of his 36th over and Patrick Patterson with his first ball of the 37th over, he had Gorden Greenidge leg before with the first ball of the second innings.

The third player to take a hattrick on debut was Australian Damien Fleming. Fleming achieved this feat by dismissing Aamer Malik, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Salim Malik in Pakistan’s second innings at Rawalpindi in the 1994-95 series.

Shane Warne was the 19th bowler to perform a hattrick in Test cricket. Warne achieved this by dismissing Darren Gough, Philip DeFreitas and Devon Malcolm in England’s second innings at Melbourne in the 1994-95 Ashes series.

After Shane Warne, England’s Dominic Cork became the 20th bowler to join this elite club. Bowling from the Stretford End at Manchester in the 1995 series, Cork picked off Riche Richardson, Junior Murray and Carl Hooper to become only the eighth England bowler to do the hattrick, the first since Peter Loader surprised the West Indies at Headingley in 1952.

England’s paceman Darren Gough marked the final Ashes Test of the century with the first hattrick for England against Australia in this century at Sydney cricket ground in 1998-99. Gouch first dismissed Lan Healy, caught by Hegg, and then clean bowled Stuart MacGill and Colin Miller with lethal yorkers to become the ninth Englishman to get a hattrick in the history of Test cricket. It was 23rd hattrick at this level of cricket.

Pakistan’s pace bowler Wasim Akram recorded the 24th hattrick in Test cricket. He achieved this feat when he dismissed Romesh Kaluwitharana, Niroshan Bandaratilleke and Parmodaya Wickermasinghe on his first three balls of his ninth over in Sri Lanka’s first innings in the third test of the Asian Test championship at Lahore in 1998-99. It was for the first time that a hattrick has been recorded against Sri Lanka.

In the final of the Asian Test championship against Sri Lanka at Dhaka, Wasim Akram achieved his second hattrick in Test cricket by dismissing Asanka Gunawardane, Chaminda Vass and Mahela Jayawardene on the fifth and sixth ball of his first over and first ball of the second over. Akram’s first over was the first in Sri Lanka’s second innings while his second over was the third of the innings.

Wasim Akram who also has two hattricks to his credit in one day internationals, is the first bowler in the history of the game to achieve hattrick in both forms of the game.

Promised much, achieved little
By K.R. Wadhwaney

The third edition of the MTNL Asia Cup Team Tennis Tournament at the DTA complex promised much but achieved precious little. There were several reasons for the competition failing to secure the desired results. Two important ones were that the players played truant and response from the spectators was lukewarm.

The All-India Tennis Association (AITA) could justifiably feel cheated as it has incurred an expenditure of $ 1,70,000 including $ 5,000 royalty to the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF). Sure enough it would lodge a protest against erring players but it might serve little purpose as tennis players, like their brethren cricket players, could hoodwink the authorities.

The concept was good. The tournament was initiated to provide another opportunity to top and talented players to play in team events on the pattern of the Davis Cup. In the land of blind, one-eyed would rule. India claimed the first two chapters but lost this year for reasons which did no credit to the players.

Mahesh Bhupathi did not play. He said that he was not fit and was getting his shoulder treated in the United States. Last year, Leander Paes had done the same thing. He had cried off and Bhupathi single-handedly helped India claim the title.

Paes rushed from Hartford to Delhi but could not play as he complained of fatigue. Could a seasoned pro do this and let down himself and his country? He said that he could play doubles after his colleagues had surrendered both the singles to Japan in the semi-final. He did, however, play doubles in the classification match but it was neither here nor there as India had already crashed out of the competition.

Paes is known for his patriotism. He is fully focussed when he plays for India in Davis Cup. He has often risen to the occasion to win difficult matches. He should have realised that it does not help in criss-crossing and he should have declared his unavailability from the beginning instead of reaching Delhi to say that he was mentally and physically unfit for the competition. His arrival was as meaningless as Sachin Tendulkar’s. He rushed from Kaula Lumpur’s Commonwealth Games to Toronto without doing much for the team.

Two more chapters are scheduled for Delhi, as per the contract signed by the AITA and ATF. The AITA is managed and controlled by the seasoned Khanna family. The body has grown from rags to riches, thanks to the era of sponsors, who are willing to sink money for cricket, golf and tennis but not for any other disciplines. It is a pity that the sponsors should be unwilling to come forward to help games like, swimming, hockey and gymnastics.

The AITA should have learnt a lesson from this competition. It should now provide the much-needed opportunities to youngsters instead of depending on super stars who treat such competitions with scant respect. This is a pity. The more our stars earn, the more they demand.

The MTNL, like AITA, have felt cheated. They had agreed to sponsor the event because of participation of top players from the region. But most of the participants fielded second strings. Uzheistan were an exception and no wonder they ran away with the title. Uzbekistan won $ 30,000, Japan $ 14,000 and India $ 10, 000.

Despite plenty of money falling in the laps of AITA and players, the general standard has not shown marked improvement. There are 25 men’s tournaments and 10 for women. But the players have not made most of these opportunities. Baring one or two women, there is little to chose from among other women. Soon where will be a $ 25,000 women’s tournament here.

There is mushroom growth of academies and clinics. Coaches are making bay while the sun shines. They charge huge amount of fees from trainees and provide little training. In a country like India, parents are prepared to send their children for cricket and tennis but not for swimming, athletics and other games. — N.P.A

TTFI planning more academies
By Arvind Katyal

Chandigarh played host to the 61st edition of the Junior National Table Tennis Championships which concluded at the Sector 23 TT hall on November 25. In this six-day meet, it was either player from Bengal or Petroleum Sports Control Board Academy, Ajmer, who stole the show on all these days.

In the team championships which were held on the first three days, the final standings in the boys section were Bengal 1 - PSCBA 2, Tamil Nadu 3, Maharashtra ‘A’ 4, Delhi 5, Gujarat 6, Uttar Pradesh 7 and Maharashtra ‘B’ 8. In the girls section, it was Bengal 1, Maharashtra ‘A’ 2, Tamil Nadu 3, Assam 4, Maharashtra ‘B’ 5, Karnataka 6, Punjab 7 and Delhi 8.

In the individual section, Poulami Ghatak of Bengal, who is the current junior and senior national champion, justified her top seeding though she faced resistance from her state-mate Mouma Das. In the boys individual section Ranbir Das of Bengal proved too good for his team-mate Shubham Chaudhary and gave a sterling performance. Nadia Saini, the 1990 born girl of Chandigarh, who this year stunned all by taking the cadet sub-junior and junior girls tiles, was able to qualify for the main draw. Megha Kassal was another girl who showed her prowess. Among the youngsters Sajal Kaushal, Varun Kassal and Ramit Singla could be a treat to watch if trained further.

Ranbir Das and Shubham Chaudhary (both from Bengal) among boys and Mouma Das, also from Bengal in the girls section were not allowed to play in the earlier zonal tournaments due to objections raised against their age. Similarly, Soumayadeep Roy of the PSCBA, Ajmer, also had similar problems.

Bengal accused the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) of encouraging players from the Ajmer academy in order to show its fruitful existence as the academy has been managed by the TTFI. Some of the finest players of the country have been inducted in the academy which posed a serious threat to Bengal who somehow managed to have these players included in this national championship.

However the Secretary of the TTFI, Mr Mood Chand Chowhan, who is in control of the affairs of the TTFI for more than who decades, said that in the coming sub junior nationals at Kozhikode a medical panel would hopefully be set up. This would help to weed out overaged players.

He said the TTFI was planning to open more academies in India and a centre of excellence in table tennis was opened at Calcutta on November 14 with the assistance of the Sports Authority of India. Another academy was on the anvil at Tamil Nadu. When questioned about the idea of opening an academy at Chandigarh, Mr Chowhan said it was up to the local association to come up with the idea and the TTFI is ready to provide all kind of support for the same.

The ex-players who witnessed matches in the championship felt the need for more coaches for the budding players. There was also a suggestion that Chandigarh could also invite a foreign coach given the fact that such wonderful facilities for the game were available.

Australia third time lucky on clay
By Amitabh

Australia ruled supreme in Davis Cup on the red clay courts of Nice’s exhibition centre this year. After losing their earlier two Davis Cup finals—both on clay—to the USA in 1990 and to Germany in 1993, they proved their supremacy on the slow surface when they defeated France in Nice in the finals played from December 3 to 5.

With the win Australia has won the cup for the 27th time, just behind their arch rival United States, who have claimed this cup 31 times. A victory here for France would have tied them with Great Britain at the No. 3 spot-after USA and Australia — with nine victories each. But Mark Philippoussis played the spoilsport when he thrashed France’s Cedric Pioline 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in front of a strong patriotic crowd of 10,000.

This is the first Davis Cup victory for Australia in 13 years, the last win having come in 1986. This is also Australia’s first victory on clay since 1964, when they defeated the USA 3-2 on clay to post their first ever win on the slow surface.

Before the start of the final John Newcombe’s squad was a bit nervous as out of 26 victories Australia could post only one win on slow surface of clay and this was the reason the host France had opted for clay courts. But when the Woodies — Woodforde and Woodbridge -—posted victory over Fabrice Santoro and Olivier Delaitre 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 after trailing by a set and 3-5 it was very much within reach of Australia to clinch the title as in the last 21 finals of the Davis Cup the team which has won the doubles have gone on to win the cup.

On the opening day of the final both Australia and France had one win each. The first match was won by Mark Philippoussis when he beat Sebastien Grosjean 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in a one-sided tie in just two hours. Another match proved to be a long affair in which after 3 hour 40 minutes of struggle Cedric Pioline defeated young Lleyton Hewitt 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 to level the score for the hosts at 1-1 after day one.

But Woodforde and Woodbridge — who ruled the world for many years as the world’s best doubles team before the Indian pair of Mahesh and Paes came on the scene — saved the day for Australia and gave them a 2-1 lead on the second day.

On the third and final day Mark Philippoussis, who is known as “scud” on tennis circuit because of his thundering serves, proved his worth and forgetting his difference with captain John Newcombe defeated Cedric Pioline to bring back the cup to Australia.

With this victory Australia have given another world champion team. They already have world champion teams in cricket, rugby, netball and women’s hockey. To have so many world level teams is really marvellous for a country with a population less than that of Calcutta.

French coach Guy Forget aptly summed up everything : “Australia won because they knew that they will win.” Anybody in India aspiring to take this line?

Bhengra’s case a timely reminder
By Ramu Sharma

The Gopal Bhengra case which surfaced last week was timely reminder that there is so much to be done for our ex-internationals who have fallen on bad days. At the same it was also heartening to note that there are people and institutions which do come forward to help once their attention is drawn to the plight of these unfortunate sportsmen. The Bhengra case also served to draw attention to the fact there is yet no central body to which needy sportsmen and sportswomen could appeal for help.

The fact relating to the case is simple. Gopal Bhengra who represented India in the 1978 World Cup was found working in a stone quarry at Churagi , in Ranchi District. Having left the Army and needing to support his family of three sons and two daughters, he took to the only job available to him.

The person who played a major role in projecting Bhengra’s plight was Savitry Puri, a woman hockey international who helped him get a temporary coaching job in S.S.High School, Khunti in Ranchi, an institution famous for is triumphs in the junior Nehru Hockey Tournaments held in Delhi. Bhengra could not have asked for a more productive job, even though a temporary one. S.S.Khunti has produced some of the finest players in the junior ranks and it is only for want of a more systematic monitoring that the boys from the institution have not made the higher grade.

Bhengra’s case was taken up by Maharaj Kishen Kaushik, a member of the gold medal winning team of Moscow Olympics and coach of the victorious Indian team in the Bangkok Asian Games. Kaushik in association with K.Arumugam, a hockey enthusiast and a freelance journalist. The two of them organised support for the ex-international and at a function in New Delhi presented him with a token purse of Rs 15,000. But with the purse came assurance of regular money.

Bhengra’s case received much publicity and a number of organisations and individuals joined hands to boost his purse. Thanks to the case,a new slogan “Players-protect-players, coined by Kaushik himself, has set the tone for more people to come to the aid of players facing hardship. Kaushik and 13 players from the gold winning combination at Bangkok contributed Rs 11,000 each towards the Bhengra fund while the Lions Club, Bengali market in Delhi added to the total with a purse of Rs 50,000.

Two internationals, totally unconnected with hockey, have also done their bit. One is Sunil Gavaskar and the other Mahesh Bhupathi. Gavaskar in fact was already making a personal monthly contribution of Rs 1000, a gesture which is quite in keeping with the Little Master’s reputation of chipping in with cash for any good cause. Gavaskar is known to be helping quite a few sports persons in Mumbai and elsewhere.

The response in Bhengra’s case was praiseworthy and beyond expectation. Bhengra’s case stirs the memory and one remembers other stories of similar nature, of Olympians and internationals and their families in dire straights. One case in Pune, of the wife a former Olympian, was detected by an enterprising journalist while in another instance the IHF organised a benefit match to raise money. It is a different thing if the federation reportedly took its cut, claiming that it too needed money.

These instances of internationals and their families having fallen on bad days and needing help is a continuous process. Something should be done to solve the problem on a more permanent basis. It does look odd that every now and then one discovers a financial run down international, and so much noise is made about the help given to him. Why cant the federation do something about it?

Much has been discussed about such cases earlier in newspapers but no one has, so far , taken the initiative. The federations should take over the responsibility of keeping tabs on how the former internationals are doing and whether, in the event of their death, their families are having any problems. Unfortunately no federation in India appears to be bothered about its former players, particular in relation to their financial and economic welfare.

And what about the association formed by the Arjuna Awardees? Here is a body which has a number of well to do stars, most of them willing to help others if only someone takes the trouble to tell them. The present day winners are all given enough money. Some of this money could be poured back into a fund to be used in times of need. Something on the lines of a benevolent fund which could be boosted with the corporate sector occasionally contributing large sums.

Sport Mail

Salgaocar’s win praiseworthy

Kudos to Salgaocar FC, the national league champions, for lifting the Durand Cup. They pipped strong contenders East Bengal 3-2 in the final via the tie-breaker. The two teams could not break the stalemate in regulation as well as extra time. In the penalty shoot-out, Salgaocar’s goalkeeper Juje Siddi emerged as the saviour of his side by thwarting the opponents. Besides Siddi’s great effort it was through sheer luck and pluck that the Goan outfit escaped goal-less in an encounter completely dominated by the Calcutta giants. Despite establishing their midfield superiority and launching several attacks, East Bengal failed to score owing to the wayward shooting by their frontliners. However, Salgaocar’s performance cannot be belittled. Rather they have achieved a superb morale-boosting victory as they ready themselves for the defence or their title in the National Football League.

TARSEM S. BUMRAH
Batala

II

Heartiest congratulations to national league champions Salgaocar FC for being the first club from Goa to achieve the rare distinction of clinching the Durand Cup. The first time finalists pipped hot favourites East Bengal 3-2 in the final. The real credit for the win goes to goalkeeper Juje Siddi, who saved two penalties.

HS DIMPLE
Jagraon

Sidhu’s retirement

I am sad to hear about the retirement of Navjot Sidhu, the most reliable and consistent dashing opening batsman of India. He would have played more cricket had he not been discriminated against time and again. What a surprise that he played only 51 Test matches in his illustrious career spanning 16 years. It is his greatness that he did not utter a single word against the BCCI or Azharuddin at the time of announcing his retirement.

PRITPAL SINGH
Patiala

II

Navjot Singh Sidhu’s cricket career came to an end when he suddenly announced his retirement. This really disappointed cricket lovers. Sidhu was quite popular because of his unique technique. His playing career was free from any allegation. He was not involved in any match-fixing case.

SUNIL DOGRA
Chandigarh

Kudos to Aussies

Congratulations to Australia for their victory over Pakistan. The Australian team deserves all praise but I think Langer and Gilchrist should have been declared “men of the match” as both came at a crucial stage and scored 238 runs.

RN BHAT
Sundernagar

Indian win

Kudos to the Indian cricket team for making a clean sweep of the one day and Test series against the visiting New Zealand team. The performance of the Indian team has improved considerably after the appointment of Kapil Dev as coach. The rise in confidence level of Indian players could be easily gauged during the just concluded series.

MANAV GUPTA
Kapurthala

Hockey plight

Our national game has lost its charm and glory which was an envy for the hockey-playing nations. Will the government and the Indian Hockey Federation rise to the occasion to retrieve the position?

DR SHARDA
Chandigarh