Indian F1 Grand Prix fears eased, Jaypee ready to pay tax bill: Report

London, Sep 15: Fears that next month's inaugural Indian Formula One Grand Prix at Greater Noida's Buddh International Circuit could be scrapped due to tax issues have reportedly been eased by the race's organizers, the Jaypee Sports International (JPSI). Speculation that India's tax authorities were unwilling to grant F1 teams a tax...

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Liverpool orders probe into player’s ‘9/11 not a terror attack’ tweet

London, Sept 14 : Liverpool Football Club has ordered investigations into striker Nathan Eccleston comment's on Twitter that suggested the September 11 attacks were not the work of terrorists. Twenty-year-old Eccleston, who has almost 40,000 followers, made the comment on Twitter on the 10th anniversary of the attacks in the United...

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Indian cricketers skip practice, opt for go-karting in Cardiff

(Wales), Sep. 15 : Indian cricketers on Wednesday skipped a practice session ahead of their fifth and final one-day international against England, and instead, attended a go-karting competition here. Sources revealed that the team was booked for the individual Grand Prix rally at the arena, costing them approximately 1000 pounds. Talking...

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Watson to continue opening Oz batting despite demanding all-rounder role: Clarke

Colombo, Sep 15: Australian captain Michael Clarke has said that Shane Watson will stay at the top of the batting order despite the all-rounder being used more as a bowler. Watson has been used extensively as a fourth fast bowling option in the ongoing three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. "It (moving him down the order) is something...

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Swann aims to be ‘more grown up and mature’ for England Twenty20 captaincy

London, Sep 15: England off-spinner Graeme Swann has admitted that he must grow up and stop acting the joker after being named as the captain for the two-match Twenty20 series against West Indies. Swann has been appointed despite his claim that he is too immature and too much of a comedian to take on the responsibility of leadership. "It's...

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Mike Tindall ‘kisses and gropes’ buxom blonde at dwarf-throwing contest

London, Sept 15 : England rugby captain Mike Tindall, who recently got married to royal Zara Phillips, was spotted kissing and groping a blonde beauty in a nightspot while watching a dwarf-throwing contest with pals. Tindall, 30, was even seen pressing his face to her cleavage on a boozy night off during the World Cup in New Zealand. A...

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Khawaja dumped from Oz squad for Colombo Test against Lanka, Marsh retained

Colombo, Sep 15: Left-handed Australian batsman Usman Khawaja will make way for Ricky Ponting for the third Test against Sri Lanka, which will begin at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club tomorrow. Ponting will return to the team after missing the second Test to attend the birth of his second child. It also means that Shaun Marsh, who was...

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Los Angeles to host 2015 Special Olympics

Los Angeles, Sep 15 : Los Angeles will host the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games. The announcement was made Wednesday by the Special Olympics International Board of Directors. The board expects that in less than four years, Los Angeles would welcome more than 7,000 Special Olympics athletes from 170 countries and regions to...

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Giggs breaks Raul’s record of scoring goals in 16 successive Champions League seasons

London, Sep 15: Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs' goal in Wednesday's Champions League match against Benfica has made him the first player to hit goals in 16 successive seasons in the European competition. With the 27th Champions League goal, Giggs overtook Spanish star Raul, the Guardian reports. At the age of 37 years and...

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FIFA chief brands early-exit suggestion as ‘ridiculous and pure nonsense’

London, Sep 15: FIFA president Sepp Blatter has denied reports that he plans to hand over power to UEFA chief Michel Platini before the end of his four-year tenure as the head of world football's governing body. Blatter was elected unopposed for a fourth term in June after allegations of bribery and corruption led to the suspension...

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Watson urges Cricket Australia to fix medical and rehabilitation structure

Colombo, Sep 15: Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has said that Cricket Australia (CA) must sign a diverse contingent of specialist doctors and sports scientists to keep the national players away from breaking down. Watson has also pledged to take a pay cut to fix the board's medical and rehabilitation structure. "I think now would...

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Shame that India sat out ICC awards: Lorgat

LONDON: Battered by humiliating defeats on the England tour, the Indian team created a fresh controversy by skipping the ICC Annual Awards function, inviting sharp criticism from the the governing body which said such a shameful conduct was not expected from a champion team. Indian team claimed the invite for the function came late...

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Swann set to lead England Twenty20 side

LONDON: Off-spinner Graeme Swann will captain his country for the first time when he leads the England Twenty20 side in two matches against West Indies this month in the absence of injured skipper Stuart Broad and vice-captain Eoin Morgan. Swann will be the fifth man to skipper his country this English summer, and sixth this year,...

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Sangakkara hopes to celebrate 100th Test with victory

COLOMBO: A hugely proud Kumar Sangakkara hopes Sri Lanka will celebrate his 100th Test appearance with a series-levelling victory over Australia in the final match here from Friday. “It’s a great honour to have represented my country for a period of time, and also a great honour to play 100 Test matches,” Sangakkara told reporters...

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Ponting’s return causes selection quandary

COLOMBO: The return of Ricky Ponting following the birth of his daughter and Ryan Harris’s hamstring injury have caused a selection dilemma for Australia as they aim to heap more misery on hosts Sri Lanka in the third and final test. After winning the first test at Galle by 125 runs, Australia looked poised to wrap up the series ...

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Gayle signs with South African franchise

DURBAN: Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle has signed to play for South African franchise the Dolphins in the South African domestic Twenty20 (T20) competition, the Durban-based team announced on Thursday. Gayle, 31, has been involved in a protracted dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board and has not turned out for the team...

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PCB chief unhappy with ICC’s one-day team

The Chairman of the Pakistani Cricket Board Ijaz Butt (R), arrives at Lord's cricket ground, in London September 29, 2010. Butt was in London to meet England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Chairman Giles Clarke regarding Butt's claims that England threw a game, local media reported. LONDON: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz...

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Four associate members to fight for spot in 2015 World Cup: ICC

"A new 50-over League be introduced which will serve as the qualifying program for ICC Cricket World Cup 2015."LODNON: International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved a new system of qualifying for the 2015 50-over World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The tournament has been reorganized after the...

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Harris unlikely to start against Sri Lanka in final Test

COLOMBO: Australian fast bowler Ryan Harris looks unlikely to start in the upcoming third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka after scans revealed a hamstring strain. Harris had complained of a stiff right hamstring on the last day of the drawn second Test in Pallekele on Monday and underwent scans when the team drove to Colombo...

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We just saw the ugly side of cricket: Dhoni

“We just saw the ugly side of cricket. Whichever team has the upper hand, doesn't want to play. Whichever team is not on winning side, will stick around and even play football. That's what people do and that's what both sides did.” LONDON: Embattled Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has termed England’s fourth ODI and subsequent...

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Indian fast bowlers not eating right: Holding

LONDON: Fast-bowling legend Michael Holding has claimed that the Indian team will continue its present form in test cricket until it unearths a few good fast bowlers. “Champion teams have always had good fast bowlers. You can’t win Test matches or remain on top without real pacers. If you look at history, you will find that the top...

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BCCI not bothered by Lorgat’s comments

Lorgat said that many people who had turned up to see the World champions were left disappointed. NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to clarify its position after the ICC blamed the board for the Indian team’s absence from the ICC Awards. “Lorgat can say whatever he wants to. We don’t want to comment...

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PCB is wrong 90 per cent of the time: Miandad

LAHORE: Lamenting the lack of required power to work right from his day one in office as director general of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), former captain Javed Miandad on Wednesday slammed the decisions taken by the game’s authorities, claiming 90 per cent of those were erroneous. “While closely watching the functioning of the...

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Qureshi-Bopanna slip in rankings after US Open loss

Rohan Bopanna (L) of India and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (R) of Pakistan at the 2011 US Open. KARACHI: Pakistan’s ace tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi has dropped five places in the ATP rankings after his semi-final loss at the 2011 US Open. Qureshi is now ranked 15th in the doubles individual rankings while Indian partner Rohan Bopanna...

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Italian climber Bonatti dies at 81

In this photo taken Aug. 1955, Italian climber Walter Bonatti, right, is seen on the Italian side of Mont Blanc. Walter Bonatti, an Italian climber who won belated recognition for his contribution for the first ascent to the summit of the world's second-highest peak, has died. He was 81.  ROME: Walter Bonatti, an Italian climber...

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Pakistan’s ACT performance will put pressure on seniors: Junaid

KARACHI: Pakistan’s national hockey team manager Khawaja Junaid said on Tuesday that he was not ruling out the comeback of senior players into the national team provided they proved their form and fitness in the camp. “Good performance from the younger players in the recent Asian Champions Trophy has created more competition and seniors...

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David stamps authority on Australian Open

CANBERRA: Malaysian squash queen Nicol David wasted little time in stamping her authority on the Australian Open in Canberra when she blitzed Australia's Samantha Davies in straight games on Tuesday. David raced to an easy 11-3, 11-6, 11-2 first round win over her unheralded opponent to set up a clash with 17-year-old Emily Whitlock...

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Gamba Osaka stretch J-League lead

TOKYO: The forward duo of Korean Lee Keun-Ho and Brazilian Rafinha gave Gamba Osaka a 2-0 win over Omiya Ardija on Saturday as they stretched their lead in the J-League to three points. Rafinha pounced on a back pass from Shin Kanazawa and fired a shot, which was saved by goalkeeper Takashi Kitano, but Lee quickly hit the rebound...

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Pakistan thrash Maldives 4-0 in AFC U-16 opener

KARACHI: Pakistan teenagers got off to a great start in Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-16 Football Championship qualifying rounds as they thrashed Maldives 4-0 in the opening match at Ali Al Sabah Stadium, Kuwait City under lights on Tuesday. Pakistan boys maintained their fine run after winning the SAFF U-16 Championship...

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New Zealand to host Champions Trophy

NEW DELHI: New Zealand on Tuesday was named host of the men's Champions Trophy, a week after the field hockey tournament was moved out of India due to a tussle over who runs the sport in the country. New Zealand, ranked seventh in the world, will now replace ninth-ranked India in the December 3 to 11 event to be held in Auckland,...

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Cook and Trott win main ICC awards

LONDON: England batsmen Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott were named respectively Test player of the year and player of the year at a ceremony hosted by the sport's governing body the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday. Cook, the 26-year-old opener who was appointed one day captain after the World Cup this year - shone...

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HARARE: Pakistan won the one day international series against Zimbabwe with a 3-0 whitewash by taking the closing match with 28 runs to spare at Harare Sports Club here Wednesday.Pakistan, having been put into bat by the hosts captain Brendan Taylor, set a target of 270-5 with Zimbabwe making 242-9 in reply.Pakistan captain Misbah...

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Cornered Maken announces Rs.1.5 lakh for each Indian hockey team player

 New Delhi, Sep 14 : With controversy surrounding the prize money given to the Indian hockey team for winning the Asian Champions Trophy gained momentum, a cornered Sports Minister Ajay Maken on Wednesday clarified that players of the winning side will automatically get a cash reward of Rs. 1.5 lakh each. "Today, I have called...

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Federer arrives in Australia for Davis Cup tie

Canberra, Sep 14  The winner of a record 16 grand slam singles titles, Federer arrived down under following his emotional five-set loss to Novak Djokovic in a US Open semi-final Sunday. He now only has two days to adjust to the grass courts at Royal Sydney Golf Club in Australia, before the World Group playoff tie. Federer looked...

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