Pak players may be absolved
ISLAMABAD, Sept 12 — The judicial commission inquiring into allegations of match-fixing and betting against top Pakistani cricketers yesterday wound up its hearing with indications that all the cricketers including Wasim Akram will come out clean and regain their positions in the national team.

Jeev moves up one place
NEW DELHI, Sept 12 — India’s Jeev Milkha Singh shot a one-under 71 on the third day of the Euro 1-million Victor Chandler British Master and climbed one place to be tied 28th after three rounds at the 6,973-yard, par-72 Woburn Golf and Country Club at Woburn, England.

Baskaran promises good showing
NEW DELHI, Sep 12 — Chief national coach Vasudevan Baskaran today promised a good showing by the senior team on the eve of their departure for the double leg four-nation hockey tournament commencing in Australia from September 16.

Sports council reconstituted
CHANDIGARH, Sept 12 — The Punjab State Sports Council has been reconstituted following nomination of 12 non-official members by the president of the council, Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

Jr cricketers need exposure: Srikkanth
NEW DELHI, Sept 12 — International exposure would help infuse greater confidence among junior-level cricketers besides enabling selectors to spot talents on a stronger yardstick, feels former skipper Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who is coach of the US-bound India-A team.

Ludhiana overall champs
CHANDIGARH, Sept 12 — Ludhiana became the overall champions in the 35th Punjab shooting Championships which concluded here this evening at the Patiali Rao Ranges, Sector 25. Ranjitgarh Rifle Club, Phillaur finished runners up.

Pratibha lifts singles title Kanetkar loses

US Open crown for Serena Williams

NEW YORK, Sept 12 (Reuters) — Seventeen-year-old Serena Williams posted a historic Grand Slam triumph as she overpowered world number one Martina Hingis 6-3 7-6 to win the U.S. Open women’s singles title.

The seventh-seeded Williams yesterday became the first black woman to win a Grand Slam singles crown since American Althea Gibson claimed the U.S. Championship 41 years ago and the first black American to win a major title since Arthur Ashe won Wimbledon in 1975.

When top seed Hingis’s backhand sailed long for a 7-4 decision in the second-set tiebreaker, Williams clutched her heart and said “Oh my God” in wide-mouthed wonder to the wild cheers at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I didn’t know what to do,” the powerfully built Williams said about her winning moment. “Laugh or cry or scream. I think I did it all.”

Williams used her dynamic serve to dodge danger as she turned away seven of the 10 break points held by Hingis in the match. The winner posted eight aces to run her tournament total to 62 — nearly triple the next closest player.

The triumph capped a whirlwind rise up the ranks of women’s tennis for Williams, who won her first professional title at the Paris indoors just over six months ago.

The one hour, 42-minute victory was worth $ 750,000 to Williams, who soared to the title with an exhilarating Open run. She ousted second-seeded defending champion Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals and eliminated fourth-ranked Monica Seles, a two-time Open winner.

The top-seeded Hingis, who beat Serena’s older sister Venus Williams in the semifinals, collected $ 420,000 as runner-up.

Hingis, the 1997 champion and owner of five Grand Slam titles, was playing her ninth major final and entered the match with $ 9 million more in career earnings than Williams, who had never before advanced past the fourth round of a major.

But the 18-year-old Swiss knows this marks the start of a most serious rivalry.

“It was a great match. I think we’re going to have many years coming up against each other,” said Hingis. “I’m definitely looking for revenge next year.”

Playing in just her seventh Grand Slam tournament, Williams beat her 19-year-old older sister Venus to the punch by winning a Slam title and gained a measure of revenge for the family. Besides losing to Hingis in Friday’s semifinals, Venus was runner-up to the Swiss in the 1997 Open.

Williams used her big serve to turn Hingis back time and again in the first set, escaping six break points. She shrugged off one in the first game and two more in the third game after breaking Hingis to lead 2-0. Four successive big serves from 15-40 allowed Williams to take a 3-0 lead.

Another service winner squelched Hingis’s hopes for a break in the fifth game.

The top seed finally brought the set back on serve in the seventh game, when she returned another big Williams serve to draw a backhand wide. But Williams broke back against a weak-serving Hingis in the next game and served out the set, saving two more break points on the way.

In the second set, three successive breaks of serve from the fifth game left Williams leading 5-3 after she finally held.

With Hingis serving, a backhand serve return winner and a forehand crosscourt winner gave Williams double match point at 15-40, but then nerves seemed to set in. Williams made four successive errors to squander that chance.

Hingis then broke Williams at love and the tide seemed to be turning.

But in the 12th game, straining to force a tiebreaker, Williams denied Hingis a set point from deuce and eventually held on her fifth game point with a backhand winner off a stretching backhand volley from Hingis.

Once in the tiebreaker, Williams’s supreme confidence returned.

Andre Agassi,Todd Martin set up title clash

NEW YORK, Sept 12 (Reuters) — Fan favourite Andre Agassi shook off a miserable first-set performance to beat third-seeded Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov and set up an all-American US open final with Todd Martin.

The 1994 champion stormed back for a 1-6 6-3 6-3 6-3 victory to reach the US Open final for the fourth time in his career.

Two years after plummeting off the rankings radar screen to a low of to 141st in the world, the second-seeded Agassi seized the world number one ranking with his victory yesterday. The win also put the rejuvenated French Open champion into his third consecutive Grand Slam final.

“You’ve got to give him credit for coming back to the level where he is now,” said Australian Open Champion Kafelnikov, who would have become number one by beating Agassi. “Definitely 1999, this year belongs to him, there’s no question about that.”

The seventh-seeded Martin sailed into his first U.S. Open final with a swift 6-4 6-1 6-2 dismissal of unseeded Frenchman Cedric Pioline.

“It’s really exciting. I’m so happy for Todd. It’s great to have a couple of Americans back in the final,” enthused Agassi after bowing and blowing kisses to his adoring public.

“We’re in the finals now, it’s just go time”.

The cheering throng at Arthur Ashe Stadium had sat in stunned silence less than two hours earlier as Kafelnikov played a near-perfect first set, reeling off five straight games from 1-1 with the loss of just six points as Agassi looked like he didn’t know what hit him.

In that set, Agassi managed to put just four first serves in play, as he made 13 unforced errors and just three winners.

It seemed that if he was going to beat the Russian baseliner he was going to have to take a page out of his coach Brad Gilbert’s book, “winning ugly.”

But by the end the reversal of fortune was complete as Agassi belted 17 winners against seven unforced errors in the final set. He also launched nine aces in the fourth set after just serving two over the first three sets.

The momentum shift began immediately with the start of the second set as Agassi held his first two service games at love and finally broke the third seed for a 3-1 lead.

Now it was Kafelnikov whose error tally started creeping up as he began to badly miss backhands that had been winners in his brilliant opening set.

When Agassi belted a forehand winner to grab a 5-2 lead, the energised second seed ran off the court for the changeover.

Agassi was now out-hitting and out-hustling the Russian as he opened the third set with a service break and went up two breaks for a 4-1 lead.

Kafelnikov managed to get one back in the next game, but the third seed was under pressure the rest of the set and lost his serve and the set in the ninth game.

Agassi dictated play in the final set and only stumbled slightly in the last game when he was forced to save two break points before closing out the victory.

“I gave him an early break in the second set,” said kafelnikov. “He kind of regrouped, started believing in himself that he can get back in the match. I should not have done that if I wanted to win the match.”

Martin got off to a slow start against 1993 open runner-up Pioline as he was forced to save four break points in an 18-point first game.

But there was nothing slow about the match after that as the seventh seed finished off the sluggish-looking Frenchman in one hour and 36 minutes as Pioline was barely able to muster a fight.

It was Martin’s stamina that had been in question entering the match after the American complained of an energy-depleting virus earlier in the week and required intravenous fluids to recover from his exhausting five-set comeback win over ninth seed Greg Rusedski in the fourth round.

“I woke up this morning, felt fresh. I was a little nervous that I might not be able to play as well on a full tank as I did on half,” said Martin, who has been to one previous Grand Slam final, losing the 1994 Australian Open to Pete Sampras.

Instead it was Pioline who looked like he had nothing left in the tank.

Usually a big-occasion player, having reached two Grand Slam finals, the 30-year-old Pioline seemed to have left his best game in his gruelling quarter-final upset of fifth seed Gustavo Kuerten.

Pioline gave Martin far too many free points with a steady stream of backhand errors. With all his miscues, the graceful Frenchman was unable to exploit what should have been a mobility advantage over the 6-foot-6 (1.98 metres) seventh seed.

Martin also turned in another solid performance from the service line, putting 65 per cent of his first serves in play and belting 14 aces.

“I’ve never seen him play like this,” said Pioline, who never got a look at a break point after the first set.

Asked if he was disappointed not to get a chance to face the injured Sampras in the final, Agassi said: “I want to play the best player on the other side of the draw and that’s Todd Martin.

“He’s done some incredible things to get here and it’s been fun watching him.”

Paes-Bhupathi duo to stay in hunt

NEW YORK, Sept 12 (DPA) — Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will stay in the hunt for Grand Slam doubles titles after suffering a straight-sets loss in the final of the $14.5 million U.S. Open.

The top seeds were beaten 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 by Canada’s Sebastien Lareau and American Alex O’Brien.

The Indians became the first team to reach all four Grand Slam finals in the same calendar year. They won titles at the Australian and French Open to bring tennis glory to India.

“It’s been a fun year,” said Paes. “We’ve both enjoyed the time on court. We’ll be looking forward to next year.”

Their next chance for a major title — not counting the season championships in November in Connecticut between the top eight squads in the game — comes in mid-January at the Australian Open.

“We’ve proven to India that we can produce champions, even though it’s only in doubles,” said Paes. “We’ve proven to India that we can achieve levels and heights of this magnitude if you’re willing to work hard enough and put things together.”

Despite disappointment at the final hurdle, Paes and Bhupathi are pleased to have set a new tennis record. “It was something I wanted to do,” Paes said.

“Being Indian, I wanted to set that mark, doing it with another fellow Indian, getting to four Grand Slam finals, even maybe winning a Grand Slam.

“But when I started thinking about it, it was a little far-fetched goal.”

Until the record-setting run of Paes and Bhupathi, the best Indian performance in a slam was a pair of semi-finals by Ramanathan Krishnan. Vijay Amritraj and Ramesh Krishnan got into the Wimbledon and US Open quarter-finals.

“There are two ways to look at the defeat,” said Paes. “Two out of four arn’t bad. We were very, very close in Australia, he had our chances here as well.

“I guess we can look at the bright side. We always look at our cup-half-full instead of half-empty. We’ve had a fantastic year with the Grand Slams.

“Now we are looking forward to Hardford (doubles final) and the full season ahead of us (2000).”

India cruise to 8-wkt win

TORONTO, Sept 12 (Reuters) — India cruised to an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the first DMC one-day cricket international in Toronto yesterday.

Set a paltry 164 runs to win in a 50 over contest, the Indian batsmen achieved their target with ease, reaching 165 for the loss of just two wickets with 12.3 overs to spare.

India was led from the front by captain and Man of the Match Saurav Ganguly, who gave a polished display, hitting up a quickfire 54 not out from just 69 deliveries. His innings included seven fours and one six.

Opening batsman Sadagoppan Ramesh also was solid with 55 not out, including eight fours, from 97 balls.

Earlier, the West Indies turned in a disappointing performance after being asked to bat when India won the toss.

Opening batsmen Sherwin Campbell and Adrian Griffiths had only taken the total to eight when Griffiths was bowled by Debashish Mohanty for one.

Campbell and incoming batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul then pushed the score along, hitting 35 off the next 12 overs, with Campbell looking particularly impressive.

But the partnership was eventually broken with the score on 43 when Chanderpaul was comprehensibly stumped by Prasad off the bowling of Nikhil Chopra for five.

Chis Gale quickly fell to the bowling of Robin Singh for one and West Indies captain and major drawcard Brian Lara soon followed for just two after he mis-hit a pull shot which was caught two-thirds of the way to the boundary at mid wicket. Lara’s departure left the West Indies in deep trouble at 4-57, from which they would never recover.

Only a determined 62 from 95 balls by Campbell and a brief but brilliant 37 from just 34 balls by newcomer Ridley Jacobs prevented a complete rout.

But after Campbell was stumped off the bowling of Mannava Prasad with the total on 135, the four remaining West Indies batsmen offered little resistance.

Wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs ground out 19 off 30 balls and Corey Colleymore remained 13 not out at the end, but the others failed to reach double figures.

With India set a target of just 164 to win in 50 overs the result was never really in doubt from the outset.

Batsmen Mannava Prasad and Ramesh quickly built an opening partnership of 54 in the first 12 overs before Prasad fell to the bowling of Collymore for 24.

West Indies:
Campbell st M. Prasad b Joshi 62
Griffith b Mohanty 1
Chanderpaul st M. Prasad b Chopra 16
Gayle b Singh 1
Lara c Kanitkar b Singh 2
Powell c Martinb Singh 37
Jacobs lbw b Chopra 19
Bryan lbw b Joshi 1
Collymore not out 13
King c Martinb Mohanty 0
Walsh c Martinb b. Prasad 1
Extras: (b 2, lb 2, w 4, nb 2) 10
Total: (all out, 46.2 overs) 163
Fall of wicket: 1/8 (Griffith), 2/43 (Chanderpaul), 3/48 (Gayle), 4/57 (Lara), 5/121 (Powell), 6/135 (Campbell), 7/141 (Bryan), 8/155 (Jacobs), 9/160 (King), 10/163 (Walsh).
Bowling: B. Prasad 8.2-0-38-1, Mohanty 10-2-31-2-(1w), Singh 10-1-43-3-(2nb, 2w), Chopra 10-3-17-2-(1w), Joshi 8-0-30-2.

India:
M. Prasad c Griffith b
Collymore 24
Ramesh not out 55
Dravid c Jacobs b Walsh 5
Ganguly not out 54
Extras: (lb 11, w 14, nb 2) 27
Total: (2 wickets, 37.3 overs) 165
Fall of wicket: 1/54 (M. Prasad), 2/59 (Dravid).
Bowling: Collymore 8-1-29-1-(3w), Bryan 8-0-22-0-(8w), Walsh 7-2-20-1-(2w), King 8-0-39-0-(2nb), Gayle 6-0-37-0-(1w) Powell 0.3-0-7-0.

Pak players may be absolved

ISLAMABAD, Sept 12 (PTI) — The judicial commission inquiring into allegations of match-fixing and betting against top Pakistani cricketers yesterday wound up its hearing with indications that all the cricketers including Wasim Akram will come out clean and regain their positions in the national team.

Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum of Lahore High Court, who heads the one-man commission, announced in Lahore that investigations against players and bookies, against whom allegations have been made, were completed and now he would submit its final report to the President of Pakistan Muhammad Rafiq Tarar within a week.

The conclusion of the hearing was announced by the judge after former Test players Rashid Latif and Sarfaraz Nawaz sought some more time to cross examine another former Test player Ata-ur Rehman through an application submitted before the court.

The judge expressed his dismay at the absence of these two players who had been summoned along with Basit Ali and former chief executive of Pakistan Cricket Board Majid Khan for cross examination. The judge dismissed the applications of Latif and Sarfaraz and declared the conclusion of hearing.

Ata-ur Rehman had earlier retracted his allegations against former skipper Wasim Akram in front of the court which further strengthened Akram’s case in this year-long controversy. Rehman had earlier accused Akram of offering him money to bowl badly during a tour of New Zealand.

The judge also rejected the plea of Akram’s counsel to cross examine Majid Khan on the ground that Majid Khan had not levelled any allegations against his client.

The judicial commission’s hearing comes to an end after an year-long investigation into the match-fixing affair which has bogged down the Pakistani cricketers.

The judicial commission had heard some of the leading cricketers like Moin Khan, Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul Haq, Azhar Mahmood, Aamir Sohail and Ata-ur Rehman in-camera while Wasim Akram, Sohail and Rehman were cross examined by the lawyers and PCB’s counsel Ali Sibtian Fazli.

During its year-long investigation the panel heard and cross-examined at least 60 witnesses including almost the entire lot of cricketers and some of the leading bookies of the country.

The judicial commission had also sent a team to Australia to record statements of some Australian cricketers who had made allegations against Pakistani players.

The retraction of the allegations by Ata-ur Rehman, who was one of the main accusers, and a positive report by an anti-corruption bureau of the government in favour of players against whom allegations have been made indicates that all the players will come out clean from this controversy.

The government’s Ehtesab (accountability) Bureau, which had inquired into similar allegations against Wasim Akram and others during the recent World Cup in England, had earlier exonerated all the players while declaring them innocent.

The bureau report had rather praised Wasim Akram for his performance as captain in recent times.

Jeev moves up one place

NEW DELHI, Sept 12 (UNI) — India’s Jeev Milkha Singh shot a one-under 71 on the third day of the Euro 1-million Victor Chandler British Master and climbed one place to be tied 28th after three rounds at the 6,973-yard, par-72 Woburn Golf and Country Club at Woburn, England.

According to information reaching here, Jeev made three birdies as against two bogies for his 71. That gave him an aggregate of five-under 211 for 54 holes.

The 27-year-old Chandigarh pro bogied the 395-yard par-4 third hole for the second day running during his front nine, and later dropped another stroke on another par-4, the 12th. All his birdies came on par-5 holes —on the 4th, 10th and 18th.

Leading the field was none other than the leader of the Volvo Order of Merit, Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, who is in sight of a record-equalling sixth title in one European PGA tour season. If the Scotsman manages to defend his three-stroke lead going into the final day, he would emulate the feat of legendary Spaniard Seve Ballesteros (1986) and Nick Faldo (1992).

Montgomerie capped another bogey-free round of four-under 68 and was 17-under 199 for the tournament.

Three strokes behind the leader was Bob May of the USA, who made a rare albatross on day two. May shot a 66 and had the crowd on their feet again when he drained a 50-footer putt with double break for an eagle on the 18 hole.

England’s Lee Westwood faltered but stayed at 10-under when he birdied his last two holes to submit an even-par 72 card.

Scores (after 54 holes): 1st: 199 Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 67+ 64+ 68, 2nd: 202 Bob May (USA) 69+ 67+ 66 3rd: 204 Eduardo Romero (Arg) 70+ 68+ 66 4th: 205 Christopher Hannell (Swe) 70+ 69+ 66 t-5th: 206 Matthias Gronberg (Swe) 72+ 67+ 67, Lee Westwood (Eng) 68+ 66+ 72, Russell Raymond (Sco) 71+ 65+ 70, Ian Woosnam (Wal) 68+ 69+ 69 t-9th: 207 Stephen Leaney (Aus) 67+ 70+ 70, John Bickerton (Eng) 68+ 68+ 71, Steve Webster (Eng) 67+ 70+ 70 t-28th: 211 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 68+ 72+ 71.

Sports council reconstituted
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 12 — The Punjab State Sports Council has been reconstituted following nomination of 12 non-official members by the president of the council, Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

Those nominated are Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, MP, and president, Punjab Olympic Association; Mr Manpreet Singh Badal, MLA; Mr Umrao Singh, a former MP and president of the Punjab Amateur Athletic Association; Mrs Nirmal Milkha Singh, a former Joint Director, Sports, Chandigarh; Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agriculture University; Mr M.S. Bhullar, Additional Director-General of Police; Mr Pritam Singh Kumedan, a member of the executive committee of the Punjab Olympic Association; the secretary of the Punjab State Electricity Board; Mr G.S. Sarao, a retired Deputy Director, Sports, Punjab; Mrs Harjit Kaur, a former Deputy Director, Sports, Punjab; Prof Gursewak Singh, a former secretary of the Indian Hockey Federation and Mr Prabhjot Singh, Special Correspondent, The Tribune.

The term of the non-official members will be two years each.

Baskaran promises good showing

NEW DELHI, Sep 12 (UNI) — Chief national coach Vasudevan Baskaran today promised a good showing by the senior team on the eve of their departure for the double leg four-nation hockey tournament commencing in Australia from September 16.

This tournament will be the first preparatory prelude to the Sydney Olympics next year. Besides India and hosts Australia, Pan American champions Canada and reigning Asia Cup winners South Korea are taking part. The first leg will be played on a round robin basis at Canberra, while the second stage and final will be held at Sydney.

“We have lots of options in the midfield,” said Baskaran. He added that some of the medios could also play as attacking forwards depending on the situation. Baskaran said the forwards were in good nick and combined well with the midfielders at the Bangalore camp.

The coach was referring to half backs Sukhbir Singh Gill, Anwar Khan and Baljit Singh Chandi, who have had a fair amount of international exposure. Gill and Chandi were part of the developmental squad which played in the twin leg four-nation championship at Sydney and Melbourne last year, under the captaincy of another half back Baljit Singh Saini.

The Indian skipper Mohd. Riaz, is another player who is equally proficient in the medio and forward line. The 29 year old Indian Airlines player was optimistic of his teams showing down under. Riaz said that the Aussies were perhaps the most agile squad in world hockey and it would take some effort to overcome them. Australia are the current Champions Trophy winners, while South Korea finished runners up.

The Indian seniors last played South Korea in the Bangkok Asian Games and beat them both in the league phase and the final. However Canada had beaten India 4-1 in their last outing in the Utrecht World Cup.

The Indian coach was, however, still perturbed about the ineffectiveness of penalty corner conversions by his squad. “We still have to get somebody of the calibre of Bram Lomans, Sohail Abbas or Calum Giles,” Baskaran said. “All these specialists started training in their mid-teens and now their hard work is bearing dividends”, he added. Baskaran said that players for this role had been identified at the junior level and with the passage of time could be moulded and perfected with the art.

The team for Australia:

Goalkeepers: Edward Aloysius, Jude Menezes.

Defenders: Dilip Tirkey, Lazarus Barla, Anurag Raghuvanshi, Dinesh Nayak.

Halfbacks: Baljit Singh Saini, Md. Riaz (Capt), Thirumalvalavan, Sukhbir Singh Gill, Deepak Thakur, Daljit Singh Dhillon, Anwar Khan.

Forwards: Kamal Horo, Gagan Ajit Singh, Sameer Dad, Baljit Singh Chandi.

Coaches: Vasudevan Baskaran and Ramesh Parameswaran. Physio: Sampath Kumar. Manager: J.N. Tyagi.

The schedule:

Canberra: Sept 16: Australia vs Canada; India vs South Korea; Sept 17: Canada vs India; Australia vs South Korea.

Sept 18: Rest; Sept 19: Canada vs South Korea; Australia vs India.

Sydney: Sept 22: India vs Canada; Australia vs South Korea; Sept 23: Canada vs South Korea; India vs Australia. Sept 24: Rest. Sept 25: India vs South Korea; Australia vs Canada.

Sept 26: Third and fourth place tie and final.

Jr cricketers need exposure: Srikkanth

NEW DELHI, Sept 12 (UNI) — International exposure would help infuse greater confidence among junior-level cricketers besides enabling selectors to spot talents on a stronger yardstick, feels former skipper Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who is coach of the US-bound India-A team.

“When playing conditions in domestic cricket become monotonous, such tours, like the one to the USA, is a welcome change for youngsters. They would test one’s potential, identify shortcomings in alien surroundings and teach them from experience,” the swashbuckling opener of yesteryear told UNI, hours before the team’s departure for Los Angeles early today.

“What generally happens during domestic tournaments is different from a match situation on foreign soil. Because the points of focus would also include a different weather condition, a less-known opposition, unfamiliar ground and foreign crowd... all which you have to adjust with while playing. Performance in such conditions will be a litmus test for the players,” Srikkanth noted, adding that international encounters at the junior level would bring a “refreshing difference” in the temperament and initiatives of budding cricketers.

About the team’s current tour to a non-cricketing country, he said basically the aim was to propagate the “gentlemen’s game” in the USA.

Srikkanth, who has been associated with grooming the country’s ‘second line of defence’ through a series of foreign tours with the under-19 and India-A, said the forthcoming five-match series against Australia-A in Los Angeles would also facilitate up-and-coming cricketers to try to attract selectors’ attention for a berth in senior-level cricket.

“The morale of the boys is high and hopefully they will play to their potential against (Adam Gilchrist-led) Australia-A in the five-match series (in Los Angeles beginning on September 15),” he said, though at the same breath added that any opposition in a one-dayer cannot be taken lightly.

On India’s poor showing in the recent tournaments, the veteran cricketer said the team was “just passing through a lean trot”. He agreed that there were flaws which needed to be rectified, and suggested that the stress should be not just on bowling and fielding but in certain areas in the batting department as well. “They all need a fine-tuning,” he said.

The former skipper praised Sachin Tendulkar, and exuded confidence in the master-blaster’s leadership skills. “Sachin is an intelligent cricketer and has always maintained camaraderie with teammates. Team prestige and an urge to win matches has always been his priority. This should finally bring in positive results.”

Asked about the prevalent notion among the cricketing circles that tight schedules players prevented players from finding time to correct their flaws, he said: “Let’s take things as they are. There is no point in looking for excuses in the schedules. It is not just India which is playing more cricket these days than ever before. So instead of complaining, better prepare physically and mentally for the job given.”

Srikkanth, who is likely to take over as coach of the national team after the tenure of Anshuman Gaekwad, also emphasised that fitness of players was one area that needed to be assessed regularly to save the team from sufferings.

Ludhiana overall champs
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Sept 12 — Ludhiana became the overall champions in the 35th Punjab shooting Championships which concluded here this evening at the Patiali Rao Ranges, Sector 25. Ranjitgarh Rifle Club, Phillaur finished runners up.

Ludhiana bagged eight gold medals, eleven silver and and five bronze while RRC secured seven gold, one silver and eight bronze medals.

In this meet, a total of six new records were set and international shooters Abhinav Bindra and Jaspreet Dhaliwal took part in the air rifle events. Both left for Delhi today to take part in the camp in preparation for the SAF Games to be held at Kathmandu (Nepal) from September 25.

The results: Air Rifle- (sr) men-open sight; Nirmal Singh 1, 330/400; Manish 2, Ripjit 3. Jr men-Manish 1, 301/400; Ripjit 2, Jatin 3. Sub Junior-Gaurav 1,204/400; Amaninder Singh 2, Karan Singh 3.

Senior women; Pushpinder Kaur 1, 279/400; Jasmine Brar 2, Satwant Kaur 3. Jr women-Pushpinder 1, Anita 2, Jasmine 3.

Subjunior women; S. Kaur 1, Radhika 2, Isha 3.

Air pistol (sr) men (NR); Jasneet Bhullar 1, Harneet Jakhar 2, Baljeet Singh 3; Jr men; Harneet 1, Amit 2, Subjr men; Ashish 1, Bikramjit 2, Amanpreet 3.

Air pistol sr women-S. Dhillon1, Amanpreet 2, Veenu Sehgal 3.

Jr women; Jasmine Brar 2, Harinder kaur 3.

Air rifle OS; men-Baljit Singh 1, Karan Sandhu 2, Gurdeep 3.

Jr men; Karan 1, Rajwinder 2, Sumer 3.

Air rifle peep sight- Men; Abhinav Bindra 1, 565/600 (NR); Jaspreet Dhaliwal 2, Kulwinder Singh 3. Women; Simrat 1 Gurpeet 2, Monica 3. SB rifle; men (ISSF) Ajit Singh 1, Jaspreet 2, Manpreet 3.

Pratibha lifts singles title
From Our Sports Reporter

ROHTAK, Sept 12 — Pratibha of Bhiwani clinched the women’s singles title in the 33rd Haryana State Open Badminton Championship at Services Club here today. She defeated Samritika of Panchkula 11-1, 11-0. She also bagged the under-19 title defeating Roma of Faridabad by the same margin. Pratibha and Samritika of Panchkula emerged winners in women's doubles.

In the finals of boys under-19 category Bhiwani’s Sukhwinder defeated Arvind of Sonepat. After losing the first set 13-15, he managed to come back in the game to win both the remaining sets 15-7, 15-3.

Kanetkar loses

BANGALORE, Sept 12 (PTI) — India’s Nikhil Kanetkar today lost to Colin Haughton of England 6-15, 0-15 in the finals of the OCBC Yonex US Open Badminton Grand Prix Championships at Orange Country in California.

Triple ton by Sanjay

AMRITSAR, Sept 12 (FOSR) — A sparkling triple ton by Sanjay Kumar and a century by India Test discard fast bowler Harvinder Singh enabled Amritsar to score a mammoth 505 for 9 against Minor Districts in the Punjab State Katoch Shield Cricket Tournament at Gandhi Grounds here today.

Sanjay hammered 307 with 19 sixes and 26 fours and added 266 runs with Harvinder Singh to take the score to 505 for 9. The Stroke-filled triple ton was one of the best seen on the ground in many years.

Scores: Amritsar: 505 for 9 (Sanjay 307, Harvinder 101, Bhupinder Singh Senior 3/52, Navdeep Singh 2/142 and Kailash 3/125).

Tennis squad

PATIALA, Sept 12 (FOSR) — An eight-member squad has been selected for the Asian Schools Lawn Tennis Championships, to be held at Jakarta (Indonesia) from September 19 to 26.

The team (boys): Sunil Kumar (Chandigarh), Sarbinder Singh (Chandigarh), Ashutosh (Delhi) and Vivian Chhetra (Delhi).

Girls: Harsimran (Chandigarh), Deepa (Gujarat), Vishikha (Delhi) and Iti Shree (Delhi).

Patiala 216 all out

PATIALA, Sept 12 (FOSR) — Patiala rode on the resitlience of southpaw Amit Kakria (79) and young Gaganinder Garry (70) to muster up a total of 216 all out in the Katoch Shield match against Chandigarh here today.

In reply Chandigarh were reduced to 17 for 1 at the draw of stumps.

Scores: Patiala 216 all out in 85 overs (A.Kakria 79, G. Garry 70, Anoop Kumar 29, Anurag Sharma 3 for 33, Sahil Bhatia 3 for 49, Sanjay Dhull 2 for 72).

Chandigarh: 17 for 1 in 6 overs (Vikram Sodhi 11 not out, Kiran Kumar 1 for 4).

Earlier in the one-day match played yesterday, Chandigarh beat Patiala by 19 runs in a 25 overs a side contest.

Patiala: 119 all out (Gaganinder Garry 34, Lakhbir Singh 20, Gulzarinder 12, Sanjay Dhull 3 for 30, Amit Walia 3 for 25).