MAHWAH, USA : Jennifer Capriati holds up the trophy after beating Chanda Rubin 6-1, 3-6, 6-2, in the finals of the A&P Tennis Classic in Mahwah, N.J., on Sunday — AP/PTI

Capriati lifts title MAHWAH(New Jersey), July 19 — Jennifer Capriati, making a comeback at the age of 23, won the A and P Classic exhibition event beating Chanda Rubin 6-1 3-6 6-2. Capriati, at 14, was the youngest player ever ranked in the top 10. She eventually dropped off the tour for two years because of personal and physical problems. India hope to cash in on home conditions CALCUTTA, July 19 — In spite of the defeat against Thailand in Bangkok, skipper of the Indian pre-Olympic soccer team, Dipendu Biswas, today feels his squad will be able to turn the tables when they play their home match at Salt Lake Stadium here on July 24 next.

Rafter sends Aussies into Davis Cup semis
BROOKLINE, July 19 — World number two Pat Rafter outlasted Todd Martin 4-6 5-7 6-3 6-2 6-4, giving Australia a 3-1 winning lead over the USA who pushed the rules to the limit in their Davis Cup quarter final tie.

Indian cops hog the limelight
STOCKHOLM, July 19 — Indian policemen shot into limelight at the 8th World Police and Fire Games today when Kailash Nath clocked 33:24 to win the 3200 metres open water swim event.

Kathmandu gears up for SAF Games
NEW DELHI, July 19 —Work on all the stadia and other arrangement is almost complete for the staging of the eighth South Asian Federation (SAF) Games at Kathmandu from September 25 to October 4.

Indians fail to impress
BIEL (Switzerland), July 19 — Grandmaster Sergei Volkov of Russia won the rapid chess tournament by logging nine points in 11 rounds while Indians faltered in this warm-up event for the Biel International Chess Tournament starting today.

Punjab Ranji probables
CHANDIGARH, July 19 — An off season Ranji Trophy coaching camp began at the PCA stadium, SAS Nagar, today according to Mr MP Pandove, secretary of the association.

Veterans TT meet at Goa

Brazil waltz to Copa America title

ASUNCION, July 19 (AFP) — Brazil laid the ghost of last year’s World Cup final humiliation by France by outclassing youthful Uruguay 3-0 to lift the Copa America here yesterday.

Two first-half goals from midfielder Rivaldo and a strike after the interval from striker Ronaldo ensured the pre-tournament favourites justified that status in a match they quite simply dominated.

Both goalscorers shared the title of Copa America top scorer with five goals each.

It was a brilliant performance by Brazil who won their sixth continental title and also gave coach Wanderley Luxemburgo the perfect start in his first tournament at the helm.

It also sealed a personal redemption for Ronaldo, who has finally reestablished himself as one of the leading players in the world during this Copa after a nightmare year that began with his much-publicised fit on the day of last year’s World Cup final.

Uruguay’s youngsters — bidding for what would have been a record 15th Copa America crown — made a lively start, shading the first 10 minutes with midfielders Federico Magallanes and Walter Coelho active in midfield and frequently outfoxing the Brazilians.

But Brazil’s Rivaldo settled his side’s nerves with a fine effort that went just wide from distance.

After 12 minutes Brazil — at last stringing some passes together — got in behind the Uruguayan defence.

Ze Roberto took the ball around goalkeeper Fabian Carini but some inspired defending from Alvaro Picun forced the midfielder wide and he failed to hit the target.

Then Coelho produced Uruguay’s best move yet. He was ruthlessly fouled on the edge of the box but the advantage rule was enforced although Marcelo Zalayeta failed to make his follow-up shot count.

But after 21 minutes the favourites took the lead.

It was a simple goal. A freekick from Flavio Conceicao was flicked on by Rivaldo, whose header eluded the dive of Carini and nestled in the net.

That took the Barcelona midfielder Rivaldo level with compatriots Ronaldo and Amoroso as joint top scorer of the Copa on four goals apiece.

But just six minutes later Rivaldo moved clear of his colleagues with Brazil’s second.

He ghosted past marker Alejandro Lembo before beating Carini with a delicate left-footed chip.

Brazil were now dominating the game with Zalayeta isolated up front for Uruguay, when he did receive the ball he was crowded out by the Brazilian defence.

But suddenly with the interval approaching Uruguay almost breached the Brazilian defence.

Martin Del Campo crashed his shot against the crossbar with Dida beaten but Andres Flurquin could only volley the rebound wide.

The “celeste” (sky blues) threatened again during first-half stoppage time when Zalayeta got around the back but his cross was intercepted by Roberto Carlos.

After the interval, however, it only took two minutes for Brazil to kill the match with a superbly-taken goal by Ronaldo.

The Inter Milan forward outpaced the Uruguayan defence before thundering an unstoppable left-footed shot into the roof of Carini’s net.

Ronaldo thus rejoined Rivaldo as joint top Copa scorer and his delight was there for all to see as he was mobbed by his colleagues on the touchline.

It must have been a sweet moment for the man whose collapse with convulsions just hours before the World Cup final with France was widely seen as the reason for his side’s 3-0 defeat.

Ronaldo was excluded from the original team sheet for that match before being restored to the line-up in the second and Brazil did not even warm-up on the pitch as the pre-match pep-talk turned into a chaotic shambles.

Despite the subsequent revelations of illness the striker was scapegoated for the defeat by Brazilian fans and had to endure whistles and jeers in some of the earlier Copa matches.

But his goal sealed a personal triumph and left Uruguay dead and buried.

Suddenly a rout looked like turning into a massacre.

Amoroso brilliantly set up Rivaldo, who rolled his shot wide and then Ronaldo forced a good save from Carini.

Brazil had seemingly strolled through their earlier Copa matches but now they were simply blowing away Uruguay as they produced outstanding football at a frenetic place.

Flavio Conceicao blasted wide after being set up by Brazilian skipper Cafu as Uruguay were left chasing shadows.

Brazil briefly relented and Magallanes tested Dida from long range but still the youngsters were making no headway.

Magallanes had to be admired for his never-say-die spirit but — with little support — he was usually crowded out or reduced to shooting from distance.

Then Zalayeta had a half-chance but Dida was equal to the challenge.

At the other end brilliant play by Rivaldo set up Ronaldo but the striker rolled his shot just wide of Carini’s post.

Magallanes again came close to a consolation goal for Uruguay but could not find the target after doing well to chest down the ball.

With Brazil’s fans already celebrating victory Zalayeta finally forced Dida to dive to smother a shot from distance but by now it was all over by the shouting.

At the death Rivaldo had two excellent chances — both created by Amoroso — to win the title of Copa top scorer for himself but both were foiled by some desperate defending.

Luxemburgo firmly in charge

ASUNCION (Paraguay), July 19 (AFP) — Brazil coach Wanderley Luxemburgo will go home with his Copa America title a happy man in the knowledge that he can sit a little more comfortably in the hottest seat in international football management.

Luxemburgo has proved an assertive and decisive coach but he was well aware that failure to lift the oldest trophy in international football would make him accountable for those decisions in the face of a media that traditionally displays all the table manners of a shoal of piranhas when a tasty managerial morsel is on the menu.

Luxemburgo was appointed as the successor to the legendary Mario Zagallo in the wake of Brazil’s disastrous 3-0 World Cup final defeat by France last season.

To say Zagallo is a hard act to follow would be an understatement. Zagallo, uniquely, was involved in all four of Brazil’s World Cup winning teams — as a player in 1958 and 1962, as a coach in 1970 and as a technical adviser in 1994.

Luxemburgo initially tried to combine the national team job with his club role as Corinthians manager but soon was pressurised into relinquishing his position with the Sao Paulo-based outfit.

His build-up to the Copa was fraught with problems.

He made the decision to dispense with the services of maverick strikers Edmundo, of Vasco Da Gama, and Romario, of Flamengo. Both were undoubtedly talented-and in Romario’s case he was the star player of the 1994 World Cup winning side.

But their off-the-field behaviour frequently leaves something to be desired and it was Luxemburgo’s first clear hint that he expected discipline from his players.

But it was the coach who showed frayed nerves when he blew his top at fans at the Copa America camp at the tourist town of Fox De Iguazu.

The supporters in question had been calling for a reprieve for Romario. Luxemburgo was then forced to make several adjustments to his squad.

Not all of those were injury-related.

Edilson was sent home after disgracing himself in a domestic fixture while Leonardo packed his bags after admitting he was suffering motivational problems.

But Luxemburgo used the withdrawals to give youngsters such as Ronaldinho and Alex their head.

Perhaps most importantly he showed unwavering loyalty to Ronaldo, widely derided in Brazil following the World Cup final defeat and a mediocre season in Italy.

Double triumph for soccer star Ronaldo

ASUNCION, July 19 (Reuters) — Brazil’s Ronaldo claimed a double triumph yesterday saying he had won both the Copa America and his year-long fight to regain fitness.

Team-mate Rivaldo, who finished alongside Ronaldo as the competition’s joint top scorer with five goals, was equally elated after suffering bitter criticism earlier in the competition.

Asked if he saw the 3-0 final win over Uruguay as a victory for Brazil or himself, Ronaldo replied: “Both at the same time.”

“After a year of suffering, indecision, uncertainty and treatment, this is a very important moment and I’m very happy,” he said. “I thank God, I thank my team-mates, I thank (coach) Wanderley Luxemburgo, for the confidence in me.”“It has been a very difficult year and to be able to run and not feel any pain has been wonderful, this has been one of the most important moments of my career.”

Ronaldo came into the tournament after an injury-plagued season in Europe.While he may not have done enough to claim the crown of world’s best player, something which he was recognised as before last year’s World Cup in France, he proved that he is nearly back to his devastating best.

Capriati lifts title

MAHWAH (New Jersey), July 19 (AP) — Jennifer Capriati, making a comeback at the age of 23, won the A and P Classic exhibition event beating Chanda Rubin 6-1 3-6 6-2.

“I’m feeling really good right now,” said Capriati, a three-time champion in the tournament.

Capriati, at 14, was the youngest player ever ranked in the top 10. She eventually dropped off the tour for two years because of personal and physical problems.

Now, she senses a change. This year she won a tournament in Strasbourg, France, and made the round of 16 in the French Open. And she likes the way she played against Rubin.

Capriati has won seven titles on the tour, and thinks more might me coming. “I’m starting to get back slowly,” she said. “I feel I can only get better from here.”

The A and P Classic lost much of the star attraction when Jana Novotna withdrew, Steffi Graf quit in the first round and Anna Kournikova and Amanda Coetzer lost. This left Capriati, a five-time finalist who won in 1991, 1993, as crowd favourite.

She broke Rubin twice in first set, getting good power off her serve. After taking a 2-1 lead in the second, Capriati seemed to become undone in the scorching conditions. She made numerous unforced errors and lost five of the next six games.

Rubin, who won the Classic in 1995 and 1997, began hitting her shots more crisply and accurately.

But in the third set, Capriati broke en route to a 3-0 lead. After Rubin drew to 4-2, Capriati closed the match by holding her serve and breaking for the victory.

India hope to cash in on home conditions

CALCUTTA, July 19 (UNI) — In spite of the defeat against Thailand in Bangkok, skipper of the Indian pre-Olympic soccer team, Dipendu Biswas, today feels his squad will be able to turn the tables when they play their home match at Salt Lake Stadium here on July 24 next.

After returning from Bangkok, Dipendu said: “This time things will be different. We will have the advantage of home ground and crowd. We will have to win at least by two goals if not more so that we get another chance in tie breaker”.

According to FIFA rules, if the points of two teams are equal and the goal margin is also the same then the winners are decided through penalty shoot-out.

Technical director of the Indian team P.K. Banerjee is also feeling the same way. Mr Banerjee said: “I always keep my hope till the last moment. If we can score an early goal, there is every chance that our boys would be able to avenge the defeat at Bangkok. We have to play in a very planned way. Besides scoring an early goal we will have to be careful that we don’t concede one goal”.

The team started their practice yesterday.

Banerjee attributed India’s dismal performance, among other things, to some vital mistakes committed by the team and lack of experience among some of the junior players.

While India forwards, specially Rennedy Singh, Bijen Singh and Alvito, missed easy chances, the defence faultered at the vital moments resulting in two goals, Banerjee added.

Coach Sankar Maitra felt that it would have been a different story if the Indian players could convert the chances they got. “We have to play all out this time and score even from a half chance”, Mr Maitra added.

Rafter sends Aussies into Davis
Cup semis

BROOKLINE, July 19 (AFP) — World number two Pat Rafter outlasted Todd Martin 4-6 5-7 6-3 6-2 6-4, giving Australia a 3-1 winning lead over the USA who pushed the rules to the limit in their Davis Cup quarter final tie.

Rank outsiders Belgium beat Switzerland 3-2 to reach their first semi final for 42 years. They will meet France, who vanquished Brazil by the same scoreline.

Russia overcame Slovakia — also by the narrowest margin — and will go into battle against Australia in their last four match.

A US bid to have third-ranked Pete Sampras replace eighth-rated Martin against the two-time US Open champion was denied by neutral doctor Rich Paul, a member here at Longwood Cricket Club.

In effect, Paul clearly suspected an attempt to subvert Cup rules, a notion later supported by the American’s heroic effort in giving a mighty fight to Rafter, who only learned his foe’s identity 20 minutes before the match.

“I was starting to get pretty fed up. I wanted to know who the hell I was playing,” Rafter said. “He looked very pale at the beginning. But he came out firing and I knew I had a battle on my hands.”

If Martin didn’t have heat exhaustion before the match, he almost certainly did after playing for more than three hours in sweltering conditions against the man set to become world number one in eight days.

Martin smacked a forehand service return winner to break Rafter and then held for a 3-0 lead in the fifth set. Martin gave back the break in the fifth game and the weary men traded breaks in games six and seven.

Rafter held in four points to level at 4-4, took advantage of a Martin double fault with a backhand smash winner to break Martin and held serve to send Australia into the September semi final.

US captain Tom Gullikson said Martin was suffering from exhaustion after a pre-match workout with court temperatures at 50 degrees C before he was to face world number two Rafter.

“After 15 or 20 minutes of practice, he was suffering from the effects of the heat. He had heat exhaustion and clearly could not play,” Gullikson said.

US team physician David Altcheck did not want Martin to take the court. That was not the judgement of tie neutral physician Paul, who would have had to declare Martin unfit to play to allow a substitution under Cup rules.

“The doctor looked at him and declared him fit to play,” tie referee Stefan Fransson said.

That meant Martin had to go against his team doctor’s recommendation and play or forfeit and hand Australia a semi final berth against Russia.

In Brussels, Xavier Malisse beat fellow teenager Roger Federer in four sets to clinch Belgium’s victory in Brussels.

Malisse, who turns 19 today, beat Federer 4-6 6-3 7-5 7-6 (7/5) before Georges Bastl won the dead rubber for Switzerland when Christophe Van Garsse withdrew when trailing 7-6 (7/4) 1-0.

In the Pyrenees town of Pau, France’s Cedric Pioline took just 1 hr 51min to beat Brazil’s Gustavo Kuerten 6-3 6-4 6-4 in yesterday’s first reverse singles to put France into the semifinals. Brazilian Fernando Meligeni won the final dead rubber 6-7 (5/7) 6-4 6-2 against Sebastien Grosjean.

Pioline said afterwards: “today, I played almost the perfect match. Kuerten needed to do better than that to trouble me. I was pleased I was volleying so well because he’s dangerous in a baseline battle.

“The match was much closer than the score suggested, but I’m delighted with the win which has given me enormous personal satisfaction.”

Russia’s Marat Safin, playing under tremendous pressure, showed maturity beyond his 19 years to win the decisive singles and seal the win over Slovakia in Moscow.

Safin, world-ranked 37th, beat Dominik Hrbaty 6-3 4-6 7-5 6-7 (3/7) 6-4 after world number four Yevgeny Kafelnikov had been trounced in the day’s first singles 6-1 6-3 6-4 by Karol Kucera.

It had been an exciting match for the spectators at the Moscow Olympic stadium, marked by powerful Safin backhands against a less talented opponent who just would not give up.

Safin admitted: “It was one of the hardest matches of my life. It’s a great honour for me to have scored the decisive point for my country here in the Olympic Stadium in front of our people.”

Lawrie crowned champ

CARNOUSTIE (Scotland), July 19 (Reuters) — Scot Paul Lawrie emerged the unlikely winner as the controversy-riddled British Open ended in French farce yesterday with Jean Van de Velde tossing away a seemingly impregnable lead on the final hole.

Lawrie became the local hero after a four-hole play-off against Van de Velde, who scraped into the showdown despite a scenic route triple bogey seven at the last, and American Justin Leonard, the open winner two years ago.

The trio had finished regulation play on a Carnoustie course castigated for its narrow fairways and impenetrable rough, deadlocked on six-over-par 290.

Lawrie had closed with a day’s best four-under-par 67, Leonard 72 and Van de Velde a nightmare 77 after he threw away a three-shot lead — and the biggest prize of his life — in a bizarre display at the 72nd hole.

The unheralded Scot, ranked 159th in the world, slipped his rivals with two brilliant birdie threes on the last two holes of the play-off, the treacherous 17th and 18th. Leonard and a shattered Van de Velde were three behind.

“I can’t believe it. I didn’t expect to get into the play-off,” said Lawrie, who had waited patiently for 1-1/2 hours just in case he was involved in ‘extra time’.

Lawrie was the first player since the championship began in 1860 to triumph from the pre-qualifying tournament, a journey of 112 holes.

He ended a run of four American wins as he became the first Briton to take the title since Nick Faldo in 1992 and the first Scot since Sandy Lyle in 1985.

Two hours earlier the famous Auld Claret Jug looked destined for Van de Velde until the strange things started to happen.

He stood on the 18th tee for what he thought would be the last time with a three-shot cushion. He needed a double-bogey six for victory but this straightforward task dissolved into a shambles of mishit shots and strange club selection.

“I never thought about winning until I heard that Jean made his seven at the last,” Lawrie said.

Van de Velde abandoned a safety-first approach and reached for his driver, sending the ball way out right to the 17th fairway.

Discarding caution once again he sent his second shot clattering into a stanchion at the front of the grandstand to the right of the green. The bounce off the edge of a stream was favourable but the ball finished in the deep rough, so bitterly criticised by some of the players.

From there he mishit his third shot into a stream.

With officials and spectators watching in astonishment, the Frenchman removed his shoes and socks and waded in as if to attempt a miracle shot from the water. He thought better of it and took a penalty drop, but found a greenside bunker.

With one shot left to win and two to make the play-off he pitched out and somehow holed the six-foot putt. The Frenchman had led by one shot after the second round and five after the third, but his last chance was gone.

“My ball was lying so well and there was 189 yards to carry the water so it was not very demanding. Unfortunately I hit the ball right and it hit the stands. From the rough there was no way to go but forward. I thought I could get it over the water.

Indian cops hog the limelight

STOCKHOLM, July 19 (UNI) — Indian policemen shot into limelight at the 8th World Police and Fire Games today when Kailash Nath clocked 33:24 to win the 3200 metres open water swim event.

The silver went to French policemen Olivier Marceau (33:31) and the bronze to Stockholm cop Peter Nilsson (35 mts, 55 secs).

Indians also gave a creditable performance in the volleyball and wrestling events today.

The Customs’ volleyball team went down to superior Russians 4-15 in the final. The volleyball matches were decided after only one game.

Earlier in the day, the Russians had beaten the Indians 15-9, but the countrymen took consolation from the fact that they routed the USA Police 15-4 in their first encounter.

In the 85-kg category Greco Roman wrestling, Sanjay Kumar of the BSF beat Andrs Talpai and Stefan Holmovist (both of Sweden). Mukesh Kumar of Punjab Police received a bye in the 69-kg category.

Kathmandu gears up for SAF Games

NEW DELHI, July 19 (PTI) —Work on all the stadia and other arrangement is almost complete for the staging of the eighth South Asian Federation (SAF) Games at Kathmandu from September 25 to October 4.

A meeting held in the Nepali capital on July 16 and 17, attended by representatives of all seven SAF countries, decided to hold the Chefs de Mission meeting by August end and fixed August 25 as the last date for sending in entries.

The National Rifle Association of India Secretary, Mr Baljit Singh Sethi, attended the meeting on behalf of Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

India has submitted a long list of 383, including 74 coaches and officials for the meet and IOA has fixed August 16 as deadline for various federations to submit their lists -after sufficiently pruned, IOA Secretary General, Randhir Singh, said.

The Kathmandu games will have 12 disciplines, one less than the 1995 Chennai edition, as a ceiling has been placed on the number of events from this edition.

Competitions will be held in athletics, boxing, football, kabaddi, karate, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling.

Karate and taekwondo have been included while basketball, judo, hockey and tennis which were part of the Chennai games have been removed. Some of the Indian federations are toying with the idea of sending their second string players for exposure, but IOA has told them that the best should go to match India’s performance of 184 medals in Chennai.

Some restrictions have also been placed on participation to ensure a more even spread of medals.

In boxing, an event completely dominated in the previous editions by India and Pakistan, a country will be permitted to enter only 10 of the total 12 categories.

Indians fail to impress

BIEL (Switzerland), July 19 (PTI) — Grandmaster Sergei Volkov of Russia won the rapid chess tournament by logging nine points in 11 rounds while Indians faltered in this warm-up event for the Biel International Chess Tournament starting today.

In the final round, Volkov played a power-packed game with the white pieces to score a convincing victory over teammate IM Grischuk to win the championship.

GMs Milos Pavlovic (Yugoslavia) and Greenfeld of Israel tied for the second spot by aggregating 8.5 points apiece.

India’s GM norm holder Abhijit Kunte finished with seven points after drawing his final round against Swiss GM Joe Gallagar.

Playing black pieces in the sicilian paulsen, Kunte easily equalised and infiltrated opponent’s area with his major pieces on the queens flank.

Swiss Gallagar, however, found the correct defensive resource to hold his forte. It was a good show by Kunte in the rapid chess, specially his victories over GMs Tukmakov (Ukraine) and Rashkovsky of Russia in the earlier rounds.

GM norm holder D V Prasad held the highly-rated Ukrainian GM Vladimir Tukmakov in the final round to take his tally to 7 points.

Prasad adopted the queens gambit accepted variation and had to play accurately to equalise.

Lawrie moves up 111 places

LONDON, July 19 — (Reuters) Britain’s Paul Lawrie, surprise winner of the British Open yesterday, moved up 111 places to 48th in the world rankings released today.

France’s Jean Van De Velde, who threw away victory with a triple bogey on the 72nd hole, moves up from 152 to 85 in the rankings, led by American Tiger Woods.

Lawrie played 112 holes to come through the qualifying competition and win the Open in a playoff with Van De Velde and American Justin Leonard.

Mark O’Meara, winner of the 1998 Open, dropped to 11 from sixth in the 12-month rankings.

Punjab Ranji probables
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, July 19 — An off season Ranji Trophy coaching camp began at the PCA stadium, SAS Nagar, today according to Mr MP Pandove, secretary of the association.

Thirty nine probables have been shortlisted for this camp which is being held under the supervision of Manjit Singh, a SAI coach. The camp will end on August 3 .

The players are Rakesh Saini, Bharat Bhushan, Manav Dupar, Ankur Kakkar, Gagandeep Singh, Davinder Singh (all Ludhiana); Vikram Rathore, Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Sharma, Amit Sharma, Lalit Kapoor, Harminder Jugnu, Ankur Sodhi, Vikram( all Jalandhar); Sarandeeb Singh, Harvinder Singh, Ravneet Ricky, Tejinder Singh, Munish Sharma, Sanjay kumar, RP Singh, Sanjay Mahajan, Jat, Sandeep Sawal (all Amritsar); Pankaj Dharmani, Reetinder Sodhi, Gaganinder Garry, Gulzar Inder, Hari Krishan Kali ( all Patiala);Yuvraj Singh, Deepak Mongia, Amit, Sanjay Dhull, Harminder Kaku ( all Chandigarh); Navdeep Singh, Kailash Chander, Deepak Thakur, Raman Kumar (SAS Nagar), Ravi Kumar (Bathinda).

Veterans TT meet at Goa

KOCHI, July 19 (PTI) — The second Asian Veterans Table Tennis Championship will be held at Panaji from September 16 to 21, according to Indian Veterans Table Tennis Association secretary Titus Philippose.

About 35 countries, including Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Singapore and Malaysia, are expected to participate in the tournament, Mr Philippose disclosed it here today.

The first Asian championship was held in Malbourne in 1997.

PCA CC win

PATIALA, July 19 (FOC) — An aggressive knock of 95 by Gulzarinder Singh Chahal, coupled with some tight bowling by Gaganinder Garry (4 for 38), enabled Patiala Cricket Association (PCA) Coaching Centre to inflict a 104-run defeat on Multipurpose School Cricket Club in the Dhruv Pandove (U-19) Sunday league match played here yesterday.

Scores: PCC Coaching Centre: 240 for 5 in 50 overs (Gulzarinder Chahal 95, Binwant 57, Tariq 50, Sonpreet 1 for 30, Gagandeep 1 for 49.

Multipurpose School Cricket Club: 136 all out in 36 overs (Manjit 46, Gagandeep 22, Gaganinder Garry 4 for 38, Robin Singh 3 for 31).

Soccer meet

CHANDIGARH, July 19 (TNS) — The 19th Punjab Rural Junior Football Tournament will start from July 31 at Nangal Khilarian village, 20 kms from Hoshiarpur. About 60 village teams are expected to take part in the 9-day tournament.

Entries close with sarpanch and the secretary of the organising club, Mr Satnam Singh, on July 28.

Punjab swimming meet

LUDHIANA, July 19 (FOSR) — The 15th sub-junior and 25th junior Punjab Swimming Championship for boys and girls will be held at Nehru Stadium, Ropar, from August 6 to 8, according to Col Raminder Singh, President, Punjab Swimming Association (PSA).

Entries close on August 2 at Ludhiana with Mr Balraj Sharma, General Secretary.

Ludhiana football championship

LUDHIANA, July 19 (FOSR) — The Ludhiana District Football Championship for school boys (U-19) will be held here at Guru Nanak Stadium from July 27 to 29, according to Mr Tara Singh Lotey, Secretary, Ludhiana District Football Association.

Entries close on July 26 at Ramgarhia Senior Secondary School, Miller Ganj, with Mr Amritpal Singh Mavi.