Deepika second Indian woman archer to reach World Cup final
Kolkata, Sep 2 (IANS) Teenage archery sensation Deepika Kumari Thursday became the second Indian woman ever to sail into the final of a World Cup Stage IV meet.

National champion Deepika, who is also the reigning cadet world champion, will take on Ki Bo Bae of Korea for the gold medal in her maiden World Cup final at Shanghai.

Dola Banerjee has done it before winning the Dover World Cup in 2007.

Deepika, seeded 13th, crushed ... Read More

Afridi vows to put aside spot-fixing scandal
By Omar Khalid

Taunton, Sep 2 (IANS) Pakistan's one-day cricket captain Shahid Afridi vowed to put aside a raging betting scandal allegedly involving three of his key players and lead his side from the front in the series against England in Cardiff from Sunday.

Afridi said Thursday that his team was going through a tough time because of 'spot-fixing' allegations against some fellow team-mates but was quick to add that his players would overcome all odds and ... Read More

Secret behind football's best free kick revealed
London, Sep 2 (IANS) The secret behind the "best free kick" ever in football, by Brazilian player Roberto Carlos, which saw the ball curve around 30 feet and land inside the goal post, has finally been revealed.

Considered one of the most incredible goals in international football, the free kick was no fluke, physicists have claimed, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Roberto Carlos kicked a shot from 115 feet against France in 1997 which was seemingly ... Read More

Factfile on Commonwealth countries
New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Here is a factfile on Commonwealth countries ahead of the 19th Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi Oct 3-14. These nations were once part of the British empire.

No. of Commonwealth Countries: 53

No. of Commonwealth Games Associations participating as separate teams: 71

Continent and region-wise break-up of the countries and their populations (*Former Commonwealth nations or territories that have sent teams to past Commonwealth Games)

Africa:

Botswana - ... Read More

Indian badminton team for CWG announced
New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) A 10-member Indian badminton team for the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games was announced here Thursday.

Saina Nehwal would be spearheading India's campaign in women's singles while World No. 17 Chetan Anand, who won bronze in Melbourne Games, will be the highest ranked Indian in men's singles.

World No. 3 Saina, who has been in a good form this season with three titles to her name, would be a strong contender for ... Read More

Pakistan drop tainted trio from England tour
By Omar Khalid

Taunton, Sep 2 (IANS) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Thursday ruled out the tainted trio of captain Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer for the rest of England tour with team manager Yawar Saeed declaring that reinforcements will be called next week.

“The squad will remain what is here this morning for the T20 matches. Once we play these two Twenty20 game, we will ask for replacements for the one-day ... Read More

Australia include teenage fast bowler for India tour
Melbourne, Sep 2 (IANS) Teenage rookie fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been included in the 15-man squad Cricket Australia (CA) announced Thursday for the two-Test series in India.

National selection panel (NSP) chairman Andrew Hilditch, announcing the squad, said that Phillip Hughes makes a return from a dislocated shoulder and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has been ruled out with an elbow injury.

The squad for the three-match ODI series starting Oct 17 in Kochi will ... Read More

Indian Railways second in international shooting event
New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) The Indian Railways have bagged the second position in an international shooting event held in Krakow, Poland from Aug 23 to Aug 27, an official statement said Thursday.

A leading partner in the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games, Indian Railways secured 8345 points out of 9000 in the USIC (Union of International Railways) International Shooting Championship, securing second berth, said a railway ministry statement.

While Indian Railways lost the first position to ... Read More

53 Commonwealth nations, but 71 teams at Delhi Games
New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Did you know there are 53 Commonwealth countries but 71 teams are participating in the 19th Commonwealth Games here? This is among the many interesting facts on the sporting jamboree that will take place Oct 3-14.

The reason why there are 71 teams is that it is games associations that participate, and some nations have more than one Commonwealth Games Association (CGA).

For example, the four home nations of the United ... Read More

US Open: Bhupathi-Mirnyi advance, Bopanna-Yan bow out
New York, Sep 2 (IANS) India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi of Belarus advanced to the men's doubles second round at the US Open tennis tournament.

The fourth-seeded pair of Bhupathi and Mirnyi dispatched Frenchmen Arnaud Clement and Nicolas Mahut 6-1, 6-4 here Wednesday and next play Argentina's Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos.

It was the end of the road for India's Rohan Bopanna and China's Zi Yan in the mixed doubles as they ... Read More

Indian women lose to Australia in hockey World Cup
Rosario (Argentina), Sep 2 (IANS) India went down 3-6 to Australia in their second match of the women's hockey WOrld Cup.

A double strike from Ashleigh Nelson helped Australia to a comfortable victory Wednesday against India, who slumped to their second defeat after their crushing 1-7 rout by defending champions Netherlands in the opening match.

In other pool matches Wednesday, Netherlands beat New Zealand 7-3 while Germany got the better of Japan 2-1

India are placed ... Read More

Kapil urges Imran Khan to save Pakistan cricket
Kolkata, Sep 2 (IANS) Former India captain Kapil Dev Thursday called for severe punishment for Pakistan players found guilty in the spot-fixing controversy, and asked legendary Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan to take the initiative to save the game in his country.

"I appeal to Imran Khan to take charge of the current situation in Pakistan. Being the cleanest player, it's he who can save and look after Pakistan cricket," Kapil Dev told newspersons on the sidelines ... Read More

Four Indian wrestlers test positive, out of CWG squad
New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Four wrestlers, who were part of the Commonwealth Games squad, have tested positive and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Thursday provisionally suspended them.

This comes barely a week after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) bailed out the weightlifters by giving an interest-free loan to the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) to pay off fines due to doping sanctions.

A dejected WFI president G.S. Mander said that three men's freestyle and one ... Read More

US Open results Wednesday
New York, Sep 2 (DPA) Results Wednesday at the 23-million-dollar US Open (x indicates new result).

Women's singles, second round

Gisela Dulko, Argentina, def Victoria Azarenka, 10, Belarus, 5-1, retired, heat exhaustion

x Virginie Razzano, France, def Marion Bartoli, 13, France, 7-5, 6-4

Ana Ivanovic, Serbia, def Jie Zheng, China, 6-3, 6-0

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russia, def Sania Mirza, India, 6-2, 6-4

Men's singles, first round

x Andy Murray, 4, Britain, def Lukas Lacko, Slovakia, 6-3, ... Read More

Commonwealth Express arrives in Bangalore
Bangalore, Sep 2 (IANS) The Commonwealth Express, featuring rare CWG memorabilia, arrived here Thursday to afford Bangaloreans a glimpse of the history of the games.

Five coaches of the Special Exhibition train on Sports and Information Technology are devoted to the Commonwealth Games.

They offer: History of the Games, Commonwealth Nations and the Mascot of New Delhi Games 'Shera'; Queen's Baton Relay and interesting facts about the Games; Details of venues and the Games; Display of ... Read More

Last over win for Tata Sports Club in Corporate Cup
Chennai, Sep 2 (IANS) Tata Sports Club snatched a dramatic last-over win by one run for their first success in two outings in the BCCI-Airtel Corporate Cup cricket tournament, here Thursday.

Batting first, Tata, who had lost to Indian Oil Wednesday, posted 265 for eight in their allotted 50 overs with Dhruv Singh scoring 115 off 110 deliveries (1 x 6, 9 x 4).

In reply, BPCL looked poised for a win after Abhishek Nayar (85), ... Read More

Serena undergoes surgery to avoid toe trouble
New York, Sep 2 (DPA) Serena Williams has revealed that she underwent surgery to repair a lacerated tendon near her big toe to avoid a lifetime with a "droopy" digit.

The world number one is missing from the US Open as she recovers.

Williams told USA Today in Thursday editions that she still does not know how she cut her toe while in a Munich restaurant shortly after winning Wimbledon, but the injury apparently came from ... Read More

Indians win three golds in Asian Grand Prix archery
The 16-member Indian archery contingent bagged three gold and four silver medals at the second Asian Grand Prix meet at Tehran, according to information received here.

The men’s recurve team of Tarundeep Rai, Muni Ram Tirkey and Kapil took the gold medal beating Iran 217-211 in the final. Punya Prabha, V. Pranitha and Reena Kumari finished best in the women’s recurve team final defeating Iran 198-194 in the final.

Compound archer L. Haridas Singh ... Read More