Mary makes a winning start
New Delhi:Star Indian woman boxer MC Mary Kom made a resounding start to her title defence and the quest for an Olympic berth by advancing to the pre-quarterfinals of the seventh World Women’s Championships in Qinhuangdao, China on Sunday.
The 29-year-old seventh seed, who has won the world title
for an unprecedented five times, out-punched Japan's Ayako Minnowa 20-9 in her lopsided opener of the flyweight 51kg division after getting a first-round bye.
“It was such a confusing bout, I don't know how to describe it.
My opponent was very strong but she had no skill or technique, she only had strength.
She fought like a bull, only hitting my belly,” said Mary Kom from Qinhuangdao.
Mary Kom will now square off against Marielle Hansen of Norway on Tuesday in the last-16 stage.
Asian Championship 2012 gold medalist Sarita Devi advanced to the next round in the 60 kg weight category by defeating Ayzanat Hajiyeva of Azerbaijan on points 27:11.
Compatriot Pooja Rani (75 kgs) bowed out with a 11:27 loss to Claressa Maria Shields of the US.
Hamilton praises Williams despite private pain
Barcelona: Lewis Hamilton shrugged off his own private feelings over a topsy-turvy weekend to congratulate Sir Frank Williams and his team on Sunday
after Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado claimed his maiden victory, and the team's first since 2004, at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Hamilton, who ran to the Williams team garage to see team founder Frank Williams personally, said he was very happy that Maldonado had triumphed.
"I am very happy for them," he said, after driving from 24th and last on the grid to finish eighth. "They have done a great job this year and they deserve it.
"And I am proud of myself and the team. We did a good job to come all the way from the back, we battled through and conserving the tyres was tough.
"Someone told me that I was only the person on a two-stop, so I think that considering everyone keeps telling me that I am hard on tyres and how much smoother my team-mate is, I think that should show them.
"I just nursed them all the way through. I just cleared my mind and got on with it from the back of the grid. It was like being back in the karting days.
Sometimes I would turn up with my dad and that is something that we would have to do."
Hamilton offered his congratulations before a fuel fire ignited in the Williams team garage.
Ambulances and fire fighters were called but there were, fortunately, only two slightly injured.
Hamilton drove with great panache on a revised two-stop strategy and was close to taking seventh from Nico Rosberg of Mercedes on the final lap.
His McLaren team-mate Jenson Button had little reason for satisfaction after finishing ninth.
"I was ok in clear air but as soon as I get in traffic, I can't get heat into the tyres and I just don't know why that is.
"I'm struggling at the moment with long-run pace - and that's something I always work very hard on," said Button. "I'm going to fly home tonight and forget about this one..."
Roger Federer, Serena Williams hammer out French Open threat
May14: Roger Federer and Serena Williams took home trophies on Sunday from the Madrid Masters, with the pair of veteran champions hoping to channel their clay success into more glory at Roland Garros.
With the French Open starting in a fortnight, both the Swiss, who put his best tennis on display to beat Tomas Berdych 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, and Williams, who crushed world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-1, 6-3, are confident of their form.
"There are exciting times ahead for me," said Federer, who will fly to Italy on Monday but will decide only before his opening match on Wednesday whether his body feels fit enough to compete at the Rome Masters.
"I'm winning so many events and playing so well. I believe that I can win the slams.
"I know the difficulty of the French, the focus will be on Novak (Djokovic) who is going for four slams in a row and on Rafa (Nadal) because he's the defending champion.
"It's an exciting event and I'm playing well, let's see how it plays out."
Williams, who won Roland Garros a decade ago, is also feeling good about her game and has a misconception to correct.
"I love the clay, I have won the French Open," said the 30-year-old.
"It's a myth about me not liking the clay - I like it more than grass. Hopefully I can start doing better.
"Roland Garros conditions are much different from here. Conditions are different every week on clay. Definitely my goal is to do well in Paris."
Federer, with 16 Grand Slam titles, will now stand behind Djokovic on Monday on the ATP list after sending Nadal back to third on the rankings with his winning performance on the controversial blue clay laid down at the Caja Magica.
Playing in his first event after six weeks off, the Swiss star surprised even himself.
"It's surprising to come back and win a title right away," said Federer.
"I was worried about getting through the first round, I was very realistic coming in. I guess I forgot that I had such a great record (now three titles) in Madrid, I was able to draw from that.
"Confidence started coming back, it didn't take much for me this week. It's been a great scenario, coming off a break and winning."
The 30-year-old Federer went level with Nadal on 20 career titles at Masters 1000 level, with both men sharing the overall record.
Federer, playing in his 104th ATP final, won his 74th title and fourth of the season.
Crook new coach of Sydney FC
SYDNEY: Former English Premier League player Ian Crook was Monday promoted from youth coach to head coach of Sydney FC for the next two Australian A-League seasons.
Crook, 49, who was assistant coach alongside German Pierre Littbarski when Sydney FC won the inaugural A-League Championship in 2005-06, replaces Czech Vitezslav Lavicka.
Crook has coached in Asia, England and Australia following a 15-season playing career in the English Premier League with Tottenham and Norwich City, making a combined 457 appearances for the two clubs.
He has spent the last two years as the Sydney FC youth team coach since leaving England where he was first team coach at Norwich City, helping them win promotion to the English Championship in 2009-10.
Crook has brought young players – Joel Chianese, Terry Antonis and Mitch Mallia – into the senior squad and takes on the head role after Sydney FC last week failed to land former Socceroo coach Graham Arnold from A-League rivals, Central Coast Mariners.
He becomes become Sydney’s sixth coach heading into the eighth season of the A-League, following Littbarski, Terry Butcher, Branko Culina, John Kosmina and Lavicka, who has returned Europe after three seasons in charge.
The Sky Blues had also sought former Socceroo defender Tony Popovic as their head coach, but reports have linked Popovic with new A-League club Western Sydney
Hockey: Abbas finally gets captain’s arm-band
KARACHI: World’s leading goal-scorer Sohail Abbas was handed the captain’s arm-band as the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) announced an 18-man squad for the Azlan Shah Cup and the Europe tour ahead of the London Olympics.
The penalty corner specialist, who made his international debut in 1998 and has scored 328 goals, will lead the Greenshirts for the first time in the seven-nation Azlan Shah Cup that runs from May 24 to June 3 in Malaysia. Forward Waqas Sharif will assist Abbas as deputy skipper.
Pakistan players will then fly to Europe for matches against Holland, Germany and Belgium to fine-tune their skills ahead of the Olympics.
The selection committee, headed by Olympian Hanif Khan, announced the squad after trials in Islamabad.
While there were hardly any surprises, Khalid Bhatti is the only uncapped player in the squad. Imran Butt and Imran Shah will be the two options as goal-keepers.
WSH rebels Abbasi, Butt snubbed
The committee also snubbed former captains Shakeel Abbasi and Rehan Butt who are awaiting the PHF disciplinary committee’s decision over their participation in the unauthorised World Series Hockey (WSH).
The duo was included in the preliminary squad for the Olympics before they took part in the WSH in India.
“We didn’t receive clearance for these players,” the chief selector told The Express Tribune. “We cannot consider them when their case is pending before the disciplinary committee.”
Meanwhile, an official of the team management said the duo’s chances of taking part in the Azlan Shah Cup and the Europe tour were slim.
“The squad has been finalised,” said team coach Khwaja Junaid.
“Their chances are very slim until the PHF decides that it wants them.”
Junaid, however, welcomed the appointment of Abbas as captain. “He was a deserving candidate and was the best available option. We’re hoping that he gels the team well.”
The coach said the experienced campaigner, who suffered a jaw injury during the Champions Trophy in December last year, was recovering well and has started training.
The squad includes: goal-keepers: Imran Butt and Imran Shah, fullbacks: Mohammad Irfan,
Kashif Shah, Khalid Bhatti, halfbacks: Sohail Abbas (captain), Fareed Ahmed, Rashid Mehmud, Mohammad Tauseeq, Mohammad Rizwan Junior, forwards: Waqas Sharif (vice-captain), Shafqat Rasool, Abdul Haseem Khan, Rizwan Senior, Mohammad Zubair, Umer Bhutta, Shabbir Ahmed, Ali Shaan
Om Prakash betters National shot put record
NEW DELHI:Om Prakash Singh bettered the 12-year-old National record in shot put with a throw of 20.69 metres at a meet at Szombathely, Hungary, on Saturday. The 25-year-old Indian, a bronze medallist at the last Asian championships in Kobe, surpassed Shakti Singh's mark of 20.42m set in Chennai in July in the run-up to the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
In the process, the 2009 Asian champion also bettered the ‘A' standard for the London Olympics (20.50m), having achieved the ‘B' standard (20.00m) at Szombathely with a throw of 20.04m in July last year. He had improved upon it with an effort of 20.07m at the same venue last September.
That happened to be his best till Saturday when he had a series that contained five throws over 20 metres. He had 20.09, 20.60, foul, 20.40, 20.63 and 20.69.
Tough conditions
In an e-mail message on Sunday, Om Prakash said the competition was held in cold and wet conditions. There was a break of 15 minutes after three rounds. The message did not contain any information regarding other competitors in his event.
He said after a standing throw of 18 metres during warm up, coach Anil Kumar, former National discus record holder, was sure that he would throw around 21.50m, but rain spoilt the rhythm.
“I have overcome the psychological barrier of National record which is special for any athlete, and now I can go for the Asian record of 21.12 metres next month…at the same venue,” Om Prakash stated. He had crossed 20 metres for the first time in 2009.
Apart from his approved record of 20.42, Shakti also had a performance of 20.60m in Bangalore on July 5, 2000. That was, however, not ratified since there was no dope-testing there. Since those days, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) does not ratify National records if dope testing is not conducted at the competition. At least that is its policy on paper.
Om Prakash is now ninth in the world lists for the season. The top seven including four Americans have marks over 21 metres with the leading man, Reese Hoffa (US) at 21.73m.
World champion David Storl of Germany and bronze medallist at the Daegu Worlds, Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus, are among those athletes who are yet to begin their outdoor season.
Om Prakash said he was looking forward to competing in the Diamond League meetings in Europe in July (Paris and London) in his build-up towards the Olympics where he hoped to get into the medals bracket.
He praised his coach, Anil Kumar, especially for helping him overcome a lean stretch through 2010 when he finished fifth (19.51m) in the Commonwealth Games and fourth (19.17m) in the Asian Games.
The Haryana athlete had been training in Hungary for the past two years under Anil. He also thanked his employer, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the Sports Authority of India, the AFI, the Sports Ministry and Olympic GoldQuest (OGQ). Apart from financial support from the government (Rs. 48 lakh sanctioned), Om Prakash is supported by OGQ, and also gets a scholarship under Olympic Solidarity.
Maiden title for Pei-Chi
NEW DELHI: Pei-Chi Lee of Chinese Taipei defeated Natasha Palha 6-4, 6-2 in the final of the Ten Sports $10,000 ITF women's tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Sunday.
It was the maiden title for the 973rd ranked Taipei girl who had beaten a string of Indian champions, Rutuja Bhosale, Ratika Batra and Poojashree Venkatesh along the way, without dropping a set in the whole tournament.
On a bright and pleasant morning, a contrast to the dust storm and rain the previous evening when the final had to be postponed after a set with the Taipei girl leading 6-4, 1-1, there was no change to the fortunes of the unranked 18-year-old Goan.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ten Sports, Atul Pande, gave away the prizes.
Hulkenberg earns one point for Force India from Spanish GP
Barcelona: It turned out to be a mixed outing for Sahara Force India as Nico Hulkenberg finished 10th in the Spanish Grand Prix but team-mate Paul di Resta ended up outside the points bracket in Barcelona on Sunday.
Hulkenberg's 10th-place finish helped the team earn a point, but it was not helped by di Resta's 14th position at the Catalunya Circuit.
Hulkenberg, who started 14th on the grid, gained four places to finish in top-10 with a timing of 1:39:09.709. Resta clocked 1:39:25.660 after starting 13th on the grid.
India's Narain Karthikeyan was one of the five retirements from the 66-lap race.
Indian women archers have good chance of Olympic medal: Mahato
Jamshedpur: The women`s trio of Deepika Kumari, Chekrovolu Swuro and L Bombayla Devi stand a good chance of winning a medal at the London Olympics if they could maintain their current form, said Purnima Mahato, coach of the Indian women`s archery team.
The trio qualified for the London mega event after making the finals of the World Championships in Italy last year.
"All the three archers have been doing consistently well in the team`s event while their prospects are bright in the individual event too," Mahato said.
"The trio have been shooting well but they will have to maintain their form and shoot in the range of 228-229 as a tough team like Korea remains a strong medal contender in the event," said Mahto, the 1993 Bangkok Asian Grand Prix gold medalist.
The trio have brought several laurels for the country including a silver medal in the Archery World Cup stage-I held at Shanghai, China in April last. The Indian recurve archers went down to Korea in the finals of the meet, which was considered as first trial for the London Olympics.
The team, however, bounced back winning individual gold and silver in the men`s team event in the Stage-II World Cup held at Antalya, Turkey in the first week of May.
A former national Champion, Mahato cautioned the trio not to be complacent and focus on shooting in all weather conditions.
"Deepika Kumari and L Bombayla Devi have good chance to win individual medals as well," said Mahto.
Chekrovolu Swuro, who has qualified for the mid-July mega sports event is in good form but she will have to improve her shooting against wind, Mahto observed.
Swuro was committing minor mistakes and will have to judge wind condition properly without taking too much time to shoot, she said while expressing that she will improve her form as we still have two months time in hand.
Expressing satisfaction with the prevailing form of the women archers, Mahato said they will have to further sharpen their shooting skills keeping in mind the prevailing weather conditions in London in July-August.
Keeping in view the prevailing weather condition in London, she said the Archery Association of India has shifting its coaching camp from Kolkata to Sikkim for acclimatization even though the condition would not be as similar as there.
About the outcome of the 35-day long training undergone by Tata Archery Academy Cadets-cum-Olympic qualifier Deepika Kumar and Jayanta Talukdar in South Korea in February last, Mahto, who had accompanied them to Korea, said the training was good as they had undergone basic and physical training.