Saina gets Khel Ratna award; 15 given Arjuna Award

NEW DELHI, Aug 29: Badminton ace Saina Nehwal, whose phenomenal rise was highlighted by three top-flight international titles recently, was conferred the coveted Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award at a glittering ceremony in New Delhi on Sunday.

Saina's achievements in the past one year made her an automatic choice for the prestigious award, the highest sporting honour in the country.

The Hyderabadi shuttler though did not collect the award, which consists of a medal, citation and cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh, personally as she is yet to return from Paris where she lost in the quarter-finals of the World Championships.

An Arjuna awardee last year, Saina rose to number two in world rankings and also completed a hat-trick of international titles, including back-to-back Super Series victories in Singapore and Indonesia in June.

Former Indian hockey skipper Sandeep Singh and women's cricket captain Jhulan Goswami were among the 15 sportspersons who received the Arjuna Award from President Pratibha Patil at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Boxer Dinesh Kumar, swimmer Rehan Poncha, world's second youngest Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi and Olympian wrestler Rajiv Tomar also received the Arjuna award for their achievements in the last one year.

Women hockey player Jasjeet Kaur Handa also missed the ceremony as she is now in Argentina for the FIH World Cup.

No male cricketer got the honour, while Deepak Mondal was the lone footballer and Rajeev Tomar was the lone wrestler to get Arjuna award.

Others to get the award were Sanjeev Rajput (shooting), Kapil Dev (volleyball), Rehan Poncha (swimming), Dinesh Kumar (kabaddi), Rajesh Chaudhary (yachting) and Jagseer Singh (para-Olympian).

Sandeep was in a superb form during India's recent hockey tour of Europe, while seasoned pace-woman Jhulan is currently heading the bowling list of International Cricket Council's ODI Women's Rankings.

Dinesh had won the light heavyweight 81kg Commonwealth Championships title earlier this year, while Poncha would be India's bets bet for a swimming medal in this year's Commonwealth Games.

Dronacharya Award, the top recognition for coaches in the country, was conferred on five including L Ibomcha Singh (boxing), Ajay Kumar Bansal (hockey), AK Kutty (athletics), Captain Chandrup (wrestling) and Subhash B Aggarwal (billiards and snooker).

The Arjuna and Dronacharya awardees got statuettes, citations and cash prize of Rs 5 lakh each.

Dhyan Chand Award, given for the life-time contribution to sports development, was conferred on Satish Pillai (athletics), Kuldeep Singh (wrestling) and Anita Chanu (weightlifting).

The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, a statuette and a citation.

Services Sports Control Board (SSCB), Tata Steel Limited and Khel Evam Yuva Vibhag of Government of Madhya Pradesh won Rashtriya Khel Protsahana Puruskar, instituted last year, for their contribution to sports.

List of the awardees:

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award: Saina Nehwal (Badminton).

Arjuna Awards:

Joseph Abraham, Krishna Poonia (both Athletics), Dinesh Kumar (Boxing), Parimrajan Negi (Chess), Julan Goswami (Women's Cricket), Deepak Kumar Mandal (Football), Sandeep Singh (Men's Hockey), Jasjeet Kaur Handa (Women's Hockey), Dinesh Kumar (Kabaddi), Sanjeev Rajput (Shooting), Rehan Jehangir Poncha (Swimming), Kapil Dev KJ (Volleyball), Rajeev Tomar (Wrestling), Rajesh Chaudhary (Yachting), Jagseer Singh (Para- Olympics athletics).

Dhyan Chand Awards:

Satish Pillai (Athletics), Kuldeep Singh (Wrestling), Anita Chanu (Weightlifting).

Dronacharya Awards:

A K Kutty (Athletics), Subhash B Aggarwal (Billiards and Snooker), L Ibomcha Singh (Boxing), Ajay Kumar Bansal (Hockey), Captain Chandrup (Wrestling).

Rashtriya Khel Protsahana Puruskar: Services Sports Control Board (SSCB), Tata Steel Limited, Khel Evam Yuva Vibhag (Government of Madhya Pradesh).

Atwal wins Wyndham Championship, earns back PGA card

GREENSBORO, Aug 22: Arjun Atwal scripted history by becoming the first Indian golfer to clinch a US PGA Tour title as he lifted the Wyndham Championship trophy in Greensboro, USA, regaining his playing card on the elite tour within weeks of losing it to poor form in a remarkable turnaround of fortune.

Atwal, who had a three-shot lead going into the final round, returned a steady three-under 67 to clinch the title by a stroke with a total of 20-under 260. The Indian took home USD 918,000 for his effort Sunday.

But more importantly, the victory at Sedgefield Country Club earned him his status on the PGA Tour for the remainder of this year and the next two years as well.

American David Toms fired a six under 64 to take the second spot at 19-under on the leader board.

The Orlando-based Atwal also became the first Monday-qualifier to win on the PGA Tour in 24 years. Fred Wadsworth was the last to achieve such a feat at the 1986 Southern Open.

"I don't know if it has sunk in yet, seriously. Obviously it was a long-time dream but until it happens you just keep doubting yourself. I had my doubts despite a three-shot lead. I am so glad, I was very nervous, the most nervous I have been in all my life," the 37-year-old pro, who has titles on the Asian, European and the Nationwide Tour under his belt, said after the nervy final round.

"My swing wasn't feeling great but I just grinded it out and got it done somehow," a cheerful Atwal said.

In a steady performance, Atwal picked up strokes on the third and fourth holes to be two-under at the turn.

On his way back, he added another two birdies on the 14th and 16th but a bogey on the 12th prevented him from going 21-under, something that his friend and practice partner Tiger Woods had asked him to aim for the night before the final round in a text message.

"My goal was to get it to 21-under today. I came up one short. Actually that's the number my friend Tiger Woods also told me to get to last night," he said. "It's all text, we never talk. He's busy I guess," Atwal quipped.

Atwal said he was a bundle of nerves all through the day and credited his caddie for keeping him calm.

"The leader board just kept changing. Everybody was tied for the lead at certain point. I knew the guys were going to shoot low today. My heart rate was over 150 at the last hole but my caddie told me to relax. I just calmed myself down," he said.

On whether he had given himself a chance here after coming through Monday qualifiers, Atwal said he went in with a nothing-to-lose approach.

"My mind is a little scrambled right now. The only thing I remember about the week is that after the Monday qualifiers, I told my caddie that we have got nothing to lose. I don't have a card anymore," he recalled.

"Guys are going to be out there trying to secure their FedExCup spots or whatever. We've got nothing. I don't have a card. I don't have anything. Just go out there and free-wheel it, and that's what I did this week," he added.

Atwal would take a break next week to spend some time with his family and celebrate the win, which he said would be huge back home in India.

Atwal's previous best on the Tour was a tied second finish in the Tavistock Cup in March.

"I am pretty sure it's going to be huge in India. The coverage is just unreal. I know there were a lot of people watching. I am taking the next week off. My family and in-laws are going to celebrate. It's somebody's birthday...My father-in-law's birthday," he said.

The triumph marks a remarkable recovery for Atwal, who lost his Tour card last month after coming up short on the Money List following the RBC Canadian Open.

Before this, he had been laid low by a shoulder injury.

Atwal's compatriot Jeev Milkha Singh also signed off on a positive note, carding a four under 66 for a share of the 18th spot with a total of 14 under 266. The Chandigarh golfer's card was studded with six birdies against a lone double bogey.

Commonwealth Games will be a proud moment for India: PM

NEW DELHI, Aug 15: Asking people to treat the Commonwealth Games as a national festival, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday exuded confidence that the country will successfully host the October event, preparations for which have been plagued by controversies.

"The Commonwealth Games will start in Delhi after about one-and-a-half months. This will be a proud moment for the whole country and especially for Delhi," Singh said addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

"I am convinced that all our countrymen will treat the Games as a national festival and will leave no stone unturned to make them a success," he said.

The Prime Minister said a successful Delhi Games would also be a signal that India is rapidly marching ahead.

"The successful organisation of Commonwealth Games would be another signal to the world that India is rapidly marching ahead with confidence," he said.

The preparations for Commonwealth Games have been marred by a spate of corruption charges and delay in construction works following which the Prime Minister stepped in and gave overriding powers to a committee of secretaries to supervise the event.

Observing that there have been slippages in time schedules and deficiencies, Singh Saturday directed thorough probes into complaints of procedural and other irregularities by the ministries concerned and said that those found guilty should face severe and exemplary punishment.

Games corruption: Sheila talks tough, warns of stern action

NEW DELHI, Aug 15: Amid allegations of corruption involving Commonwealth Games projects, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Sunday warned that anybody found guilty would face stern action. Under attack for rubbles still piled up across the city in connection with the Games preparations, she apologised to citizens
for the "inconvenience".

"Lot of criticism have been there with regard to CWG preparation. If there is corruption we will find out who is responsible and take stern action against them whoever they are -- central government or Delhi government officials or any others...," Dikshit said, after unfurling the tri-colour during the Independence Day Celebrations here. The comments came in the wake of charges of corruption and irregularities in the CWG projects. The Opposition BJP had also alleged that the Delhi government diverted funds meant for welfare of Scheduled Castes to the Games.

"For the last three to four months, Delhiites had suffered due to the construction works undergoing in the city. I apologise to the citizens for this. But if we have to achieve something, then we have to sacrifice..," she said.

The Chief Minister assured that the fortnight-long event from October 3 to 14 will be the finest in the history of the Games despite the controversies surrounding it.

"The event will be finest in the history of the Games. We have to prove that we are not behind anyone. For this the citizens and the government have to work together," she said.

Dikshit has been under attack from various quarters for the delay in completion of key projects worth over Rs 10,000 crore. She had last month set August 31 as deadline for completing all the projects linked to the event.

Various key Games projects, including the Barapullah Nallah elevated road, UP Link road and projects related to street-scaping works, have missed several deadlines and now questions are being raised whether they will be completed before the final deadline of August 31, set by Dikshit.

Games: Manmohan orders probe into ‘irregularities'

NEW DELHI, Aug 14: For the first time since the preparations for the Commonwealth Games (CWG), scheduled to kick off in Delhi on October 3, received adverse notice, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ordered the Ministries concerned to investigate all “procedural and other irregularities.”

“Those found guilty,” he said, “should face severe and exemplary punishment.”

However, sources said it was unlikely that any action would be forthcoming — at least not till the Games are over. The Prime Minister's directions came at a high-level emergency meeting that he called on Saturday to review the status of preparations for the Games, following a meeting on Friday of the Congress Core Group on the subject.

At this meeting – as at Friday's – the consensus was that Organising Committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi, who is facing a series of corruption charges, should not be replaced, but that he should be reined in. Government sources said the feeling was that “it was not possible to change horses mid-stream,” and that while Mr. Kalmadi could be accused of many things, he could not be faulted on “efficiency, experience and exposure.”

So, till the Games, the Cabinet Secretary-headed Committee of Secretaries — which was already reviewing CWG-connected works — will be transformed into an Empowered Committee with “jurisdiction over the OC.” To further clip Mr. Kalmadi's wings, a Secretary-level officer of the Cabinet Secretariat will liaise with the OC daily.

Simultaneously, the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up for the CWG, headed by Minister for Urban Development S. Jaipal Reddy, has been told to disseminate “timely and authentic information on the state of preparations and in particular on the remaining tasks.” The sense was that neither the Opposition onslaught nor the barrage of media stories should be allowed to distract or demoralise the officials and those connected with the conduct of the Games.

It was also made clear that there would be no new oversight committee: instead, the GoM has been “empowered to take all decisions necessary for the smooth conduct of the Games” and “directed to meet immediately and frequently thereafter.” This empowerment, however, has one caveat: it will “refer any matter that may require further consideration” to Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee “for a final decision.” This, sources sought to underplay by saying it referred only to financial matters.

Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrashekhar has also been asked to liaise closely with the GoM to “ensure effective coordination among all the concerned authorities.” The GoM will meet on Sunday, sources said.

Those who attended the meeting included Mr. Reddy, Sports Minister M.S. Gill, Delhi Lt. Governor Tejendra Khanna, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister T.K.A. Nair; Mr. Chandrasekhar, and Mr. Kalmadi.

Games Organising Committee suspends three officials

NEW DELHI, Aug 5: In the wake of a spate of corruption allegations, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee on Thursday suspended Joint Director General T. S. Darbari, Deputy Director General Sanjay Mahindroo and Joint Director General (Finance and Account) M. Jayachandran for their “dubious” role in payment for services rendered during the Queen's Baton Relay (QBR) in London.

The suspension of three officials followed the resignation by Organising Committee treasurer Anil Khanna. He quit for “personal reasons,” even as allegations were made that his son's (Aditya) firm had bagged a contract for laying synthetic courts at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association Complex.

The Organising Committee has appointed A. K Mattoo as the treasurer. Incidentally, he had resigned as treasurer on January 17 during the hockey crisis.

Making the announcement, Organising Committee Secretary General Lalit Bhanot, who is also its official spokesman, said: “We requested him [Mr. Mattoo] to take over the responsibility, because he understands the working of the federations very well.”

The Organising Committee formed a three-member panel to probe charges of money being paid to AM Films without the tender process. This committee, comprising Organising Committee Chief Executive Officer Jarnail Singh, Special Director (General Finance) G.C. Chaturvedi and Chief Vigilance Officer Gurjyot Kaur recommended the suspension of Mr. Darbari and Mr. Mahindroo.

The Organising Committee, Mr. Bhanot said, also decided to “terminate” its contract with the Australian firm Sports Marketing and Management (SMAM). The decision was taken essentially for “non-performance (promise of generating sponsorship worth $122 million until June 30).”

Mr. Bhanot confirmed that the issue of overlays was referred to the Cabinet Secretary.

On the suspension of Mr. Darbari and Mr. Mahindroo, he said: “The responsibility for the delivery and conduct of the QBR rested with them. Mr. Jayachandran also needed to be punished for his role. The case has been referred to the Enforcement Directorate because there is need for a thorough investigation.”

Mr. Bhanot said, “All involved will be punished. I assure you not a rupee has been paid to the SMAM. It is not a failure of the system and we are ready to host one of the best ever Games [from October 3 to 14].”

Asked why Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi had not owned up the moral responsibility, he said, “It is difficult to own up responsibility for every person working in the committee.”

NBA All-Star Dwight Howard to embark on India tour

By Deepak Arora

BENGALURU/NEW DELHI, Aug 5: Four-time National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Dwight Howard, of the Orlando Magic, will travel to India from August 10 to 14 to participate in a series of basketball events in Bangalore and Delhi to further the growth of basketball and the NBA in the world’s second-largest nation.

Among his activities in India, Howard will train with India’s Senior Men’s National Basketball Team; conduct coaching and player clinics for Mahindra NBA Challenge participants, the NBA’s first community league in India; launch NBA Jam, an interactive fan basketball event; and attend the launch of the first two NBA shops opening within adidas stores in Bangalore and Delhi.

“The game of basketball has been so good to me and I am excited to go to India on behalf of the NBA,” said Howard.

“Basketball is a global game and I love that the NBA is bringing the fun and excitement to fans around the world and introducing young athletes to the sport.”

“Dwight is extremely talented and charismatic and his presence at the Mahindra NBA Challenge and all the events will provide great inspiration to young basketball players in India,” said NBA President of International Heidi Ueberroth.

“Bringing top players like Dwight to communities in India is an important part of the NBA’s overall efforts to teach the game of basketball and increase participation in the country.”

The Mahindra NBA Challenge, the league’s first-ever community-based basketball league in India, launched in Mumbai, Bangalore and Ludhiana this summer and attracted thousands of participants including top players from each city. On August 11, Howard will make an appearance at the league in Bangalore where he will meet the participants and conduct basketball clinics for both the players and coaches.

Howard will train with India’s Senior Men’s National Basketball Team at the Sri Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore on August 10 and 11 to help them prepare for the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) 16th Asian Games which takes place in China this November.

He will then travel to Delhi on August 13 and 14 to launch the second consecutive NBA Jam, the league’s traveling fan event in India that features interactive basketball activities. Howard will meet with fans and teach fundamental basketball skills to youth.

Howard will be on hand to launch the first-ever NBA shops to open within adidas stores in India. He will interact with fans and help introduce them to the most comprehensive assortment of NBA apparel and footwear in the country. The shops will open on Brigade Road in Bangalore on August 10 and in the Ambience Mall in Gurgaon on August 14.

“As a Global Partner of the NBA, we are extremely excited to support initiatives that promote the growth of basketball in India and the opportunity to meet NBA All-Star Dwight Howard will inspire the next generation of basketball players,” said adidas India Director of Marketing and Sales Tushar Goculdas. “We are thrilled that Dwight will appear at the new NBA shops within adidas stores to help generate awareness for the large assortment of NBA merchandise available to fans.”

Howard was the overall No. 1 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft and he led his team to The Finals at the end of the 2008-09 season. He has won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award two seasons in a row and was a member of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team that won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He earned the nickname “Superman” for his performance during the Sprite Slam Dunk contest at NBA All-Star 2008.

NBA games and programming are available in India on ESPN and Star Sports. In December 2009, the NBA launched www.NBA.com/india, the league’s first localized website in India. The league has marketing partnerships in India with adidas, Coca-Cola, EA SPORTS, HP, Mahindra, Nike, Reebok, and Spalding. NBA merchandise is sold in 120 adidas stores throughout the country.

The NBA, founded in 1946, is a professional sports league and global business that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2009-10 season, NBA games will reach 215 countries and territories in 41 languages.

The league’s worldwide reach is also displayed in the 79 international players from 35 countries and territories on NBA rosters. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents.

NBA.com averages more than 26 million page views per day, with more than 50 percent of the site’s visitors coming from outside of North America. Through NBA Cares, the league, its teams and players have donated more than $140 million to charity, provided more than 1.1 million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created 484 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play, including 85 places in 21 countries on five continents internationally.

Tendulkar becomes most-capped Test player

COLOMBO, Aug 3: Milestone man Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday became the most-capped Test cricketer in the world after taking field for his 169th match, the third and final of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, in Colombo.

The 37-year-old champion batsman, who holds almost every batting record, overtook retired former Australian captain Steve Waugh with whom he was tied at 168 matches after the second Test at SSC in Colombo.

Tendulkar, who has been around for two decades now, has also played 442 one-day internationals, just a couple of matches less than Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya's record of 444.

Tendulkar has scored 13,742 runs in 168 Tests at an average of 56.08, notching up 48 hundreds and 55 half-centuries in the process.

He has 17,598 runs, including 46 centuries, in his 442 one-dayers. The Mumbaikar also holds the distinction of being the first batsman to score a double hundred in ODIs.

But despite these astonishing feats, Tendulkar remains hungry for more runs and after getting his fifth Test double hundred in the second Test against Sri Lanka, the diminutive batsman urged critics to stop talking about his age.

Most capped Test players after Sachin Tendulkar:

168 - Steve Waugh (AUS) - retired
156 - Allan Border (AUS) - retired
146 - Ricky Ponting (AUS)
145 - Shane Warne (AUS) - retired
141 - Rahul Dravid (IND)
140 - Jacques Kallis (RSA)
134 - Mark Boucher (RSA).

NBA Twitter feed surpasses 2 million followers

NEW YORK, Aug 2: The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that the official NBA Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/nba) has surpassed two million fans, an unprecedented number for a sports league on the social networking site.

Overall, the official NBA feed, all 30 NBA team feeds, and more than 165 NBA player feeds have accumulated more than 23 million combined followers across Twitter.

The NBA will celebrate the two-million-fan milestone by unveiling a fan takeover of the league’s Twitter feed. Fans will be able to share videos, photos, and messages about their love for the game of basketball.

Beginning today, the content NBA fans provide will be posted on the official NBA Twitter page throughout the weeklong celebration.

Additionally, the league will provide all NBA Twitter fans with exclusive discount offers for NBAStore.com, NBA League Pass Broadband, and NBA marketing-partner products from T-Mobile, EA Sports and Right Guard. NBA teams, players, and celebrities will provide special commentary and video, while players will host Twitterviews and live chats on Twitter throughout the week.

"Surpassing the two-million mark on Twitter is a testament to our tremendous fans around the globe, who are passionate about the league and their favorite teams and players” said Melissa Rosenthal-Brenner, NBA Vice President of Marketing. “Our fans have embraced the NBA on social media and we wanted to show our appreciation by celebrating them throughout the week.”

The official NBA Twitter feed is currently the top-rated brand on Twitter, according to trackingtwitter.com. Additionally, the NBA had set a record for tweets per second on the site. Fans generated 3,085 tweets per second at the conclusion of Game 7 of The Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, according to Twitter.

Currently, the NBA is the No. 1 sports league on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, with the most fans, followers, and videos viewed on each, respectively.

Saina is now ranked No. 2

NEW DELHI, July 16: Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal is just a step away from realising her goal of becoming the world's No.1 player as she jumped one place to a career-best second in the latest international rankings.

“I am very happy to achieve the World No. 2 so soon in my career. The last three wins have really helped me. It is a great feeling but I feel my priority still will be to win more tournaments for India rather than focussing on rankings,” Saina said.

“It will be difficult to hold on to the ranking but I hope to continue my hard work and win more titles and become the number one player soon,” said the Hyderabadi shuttler.

The 20-year-old Saina made a meteoric rise following her back-to-back title triumphs at the India Open Grand Prix and the Singapore Open Super Series, reaching the World No. 3 last month.

And after the Indian defended her Indonesian Open Super Series crown to complete her hat-trick of titles, it was just a matter of time that she jumped to the second place.

By virtue of the consecutive title wins, Saina now has 64791.2637 points and is just behind Chinese Yihan Wang, while Xin Wang of China is in the third place.

Saina's father Harvir Singh also expressed happiness and hoped her daughter can continue her good work for the country.

“God has been kind. It is a marvellous achievement. I hope she can continue to work hard and win more laurels for the country,” Harvir Singh said.

Saina's next engagement will be the World badminton championship in Paris next month, before playing the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

In the men's ranking, the Indian trio of Chetan Anand, P. Kashyap and Arvind Bhatt were at 15th, 25th and 27th spots, respectively, while mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V. Diju were static at the seventh place.

World Cup: Spain New Champs

JOHANNESBURG, July 11: Andres Iniesta struck deep into the second half extra time to give Spain their maiden World Cup title with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in a drama-filled summit clash here today.

Iniesta scored the winner in the 116th minute after both the sides were locked goal-less in the regulation 90 minutes in an ill-tempered grand finale which saw the ejection of Dutch defender John Heitinga in the 110th minute for his second booking and another 12 yellow cards being shown.

Spain, who had never gone beyond quarterfinals before this World Cup, today bagged world football's most coveted trophy after 13 appearances since 1934.

New world champions Spain, the eighth such team in history, now join Brazil (five titles), Italy (four), Germany (three), Argentina (two), Uruguay (two), France (one) and England (one).

Fittingly a new world champion was crowned at the first World Cup in Africa which was one of the most successful editions in FIFA history, though the summit clash was short of a classic besides the rough play of the players.

When captain Iker Casillas lifted the World Cup trophy from FIFA chief Sepp Blatter at the Soccer City Stadium, reigning European champions Spain had also shed the tag of perennial underachievers in world football.

On the other hand, the Netherlands failed to erase their agony of finishing losing finalists twice in 1974 and 1978 and remained world football's underachievers.

Spain also became the first European country to win the World Cup outside their continent, a feat which could not be achieved by Italy, Germany, England and France.

The 'La Roja', as Spain is known as, now join Brazil and Argentina who have World Cup triumphs outside their continental zone.

It has been fabulous two years for Spain who won the European Championships in 2008 -- their second after 1964 --and has now become world champions. They are the only second side to be the reigning European and world champions at the same time after France -- 1972 European Champions and 1974 World Cup winners.

The first half of the final match was largely a dull contest of midfield domination which no side could do prominently but the second session and the extra time dished out an exhibition of fast-paced and open football with both sides wasting chances galore.

Uruguay striker Forlan named player of the tournament

JOHANNESBURG, July 12: Uruguay striker Diego Forlan was named World Cup player of the tournament on Sunday to win the Golden Ball after a vote by international media.

Forlan polled 23.4 per cent of the vote after finishing the World Cup as joint leading scorer with five goals as Uruguay came fourth.

Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder was second with 21.8 per cent and Spain's David Villa third.

Nadal wins French Open; regains number one ranking

PARIS, June 6: Rafael Nadal won the French Open for the fifth time in six years on Sunday with a crushing defeat of Robin Soderling 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to re-establish himself as the best on the clay.

The Spaniard, beaten in 2009 by Soderling in the fourth round, becomes only the second man to win five French crowns.

Swede Bjorn Borg holds the record of six title between 1974 and 1981. Nadal won his 38th career match at Roland Garros against the one loss to Soderling.

Nadal rolled in the dirt as Soderling slammed a backhand into the net on the first of three Nadal match points after two hours 18 minutes.

The emotional Spaniard could not contain himself as he sobbed into his towel when considering the enormity of his achievement — it came on the 54th birthday of Borg.

“Robin has played an amazing two matches against me, I had to play my best to beat you today.” Choking back tears, Nadal, who has lost only two sets in the clay this season, thanked the crowd for its support. “This is very emotional, the most emotional win of my career.

“This is a dream for me, I’ve felt at home here for the past six years.” The victory sends Nadal back to the world number one ranking, dropping Roger Federer to second.

The defeat was hugely disappointing for Soderling, who will still move to a career—best ranking of sixth on the ATP list on Monday. The Swede’s normally reliable forehand deserted him, with the fifth seed finding more than 30 errors off that wing.

“I must congratulate Rafa, it’s really impressive,” said the Swede. “If you play like this will have the chance to win many more.

“I’ll be back next year and hope to be third time lucky then.” Soderling was also unable to capitalise on his chances, failing to convert on all eight of his break points.

Indian artist designs French Open poster

NEW DELHI, May 26: The Indian representation at this year's French Open is not just confined to the Somdev Devvarmans and Leander Paeses.

The official poster for Roland Garros 2010 has been created by Indian artist Nalini Malani (64), who earned the distinction of not only becoming the first Indian but also the first Asian artist to do so.

Ever since official French Open posters began in 1980 to celebrate art and tennis, a host of renowned European painters - such as Spanish Catalan painters Joan Miro and Antoni Tapies and Belgian artist Pierre Alechinsky - have been commissioned to design the posters for this Grand Slam.

Nalini, a Pakistan-born Mumbai-based artist, in her design, portrays a woman tennis player, stretching across two globes while playing a shot. The player on the poster has some golden butterflies flying around her while a woman lying on the ground looks up in anguish.

Nalini said she wanted to show the struggle and success of tennis players, especially women. "The young woman player strides the universe. She is in a magical space with golden butterflies around her. The falling figure shows that sometimes one wins but sometimes one can lose - but one has to go on playing the game," she told PTI from Paris.

"It was wonderful to be associated with the French Open. And indeed it was very satisfying to make the artwork for the poster that would be seen all over the world. I am happy to say my work is very much appreciated in Europe."

In the pamphlet distributed to the media after the launch of the poster, Nalini appreciated the achievements and contribution of Sania Mirza. “She is our youngest player trying hard at the game. Her tennis has revolutionised the mentality here. It created a sense of liberation,” she said.

England beat Australia by 7 wickets to become T20 World Champs

England charged to an emphatic win over Australia by beating them by seven wickets in the summit clash of the Twenty20 World Cup at the Kensington Oval at Bridgetown on Sunday.

David Hussey struck a fighting 59 as Australia posted 147 for six against England.

Playing in their maiden final of a Twenty20 World Cup, Australia made a disastrous start after being put into bat as they were eight for three after 2.1 overs before David Hussey's 54-ball effort took them to a respectable score under overcast conditions and on a wicket which had moisture early on.

David, who came to the crease at eight for three in the third over, got support from Cameron White (19-ball 30) and captain Michael Clarke (35-ball 27) at Kensington Oval here.

Collingwood's decision to bowl after winning the toss apparently to use the fast and bouncy pitch first paid rich dividend as three Australian batsmen were out by the third over for just eight runs in a sensational start to the grand finale.

Ryan Sidebottom induced Shane Watson (2) a top edge off the third ball of the final match which wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter could not quite hold on but Graeme Swann took the rebound to reduce Australia to two for one.

Next over and five runs later, a brilliant under-arm throw by Luke Wright found David Warner (2) well short of the crease after being called for a single by Clarke off the bowling of Tim Bresnan.

Two balls later, it was the turn of wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (1) to make a hasty return to the pavillion after facing just two balls, with Krieswetter making a fine catch diving high to his left though television replays suggested the ball came off the Australian's thigh.

Run rate plummeted with the Australians scoring just 24 from the first powerplay six overs and they were in deep trouble after Clarke perished in the 10th over for run-a-ball 27. His opposite number Paul Collingwood took a fine catch at mid-wicket after Clarke had failed to keep a Swann flighted ball and Australia were 45 for four in 9.2 overs.

It was left to White and David Hussey to repair the tottering Australian innings and the duo stitched a 50-run partnership from 38 balls for the fifth wicket to take the score nearer the 100 mark.

White and Hussey took 21 runs from the 13th over bowled by Michael Yardy with a six each before the former was out in the 16th over of the bowling of Wright. White holed out to Stuart Broad who made amends for a futile attempt to dismiss David Hussey in the earlier over by taking a superb catch.

That brought Hussey brothers David and Michael at the crease and they raised 47 runs from just 22 balls for the sixth wicket before the former was out for 59 which was studded with two fours and as many sixes.

Michael Hussey, who cracked a 24-ball 60 to help Australia score a sensational victory over Pakistan in the semifinal, remained not out on 17 from 10 balls with the help of two fours.

Pacer Ryan Sidebottom was the most successful England bowler with two for 26 from his four overs while Swann and Wright chipped in with a wicket each.

Rain forces India to share Azlan Shah trophy with Korea

Defending champions India and South Korea were on Sunday declared joint winners of the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament as the summit clash between the two teams was called off due to rain in Ipoh, Malaysia.

The final match was abandoned after six minutes of play as the heavy showers lashed the turf.

India had lost only one match, against Malaysia, en route to final.

This is the first time in the history of the tournament, which began in 1983, that there have been joint winners.

Indian defender Sardar Singh was adjuged the best player of the tournament.

The Indian team management, when called by the FIH Tournament Director Paul Richards, expressed the desire to be given the winners trophy since they had topped the seven team round-robin league with 13 points as well as having beaten the Koreans 3-2 at that stage.

However, it was decided to give the winners cup to both the teams which gave India their fifth title and the Koreans grabbed their second.

India had made six appearances in the final of the tournament and ended on the victorious side on four occasions in 1985, 1991, 1995 and 2009.

They had lost the title clash of the 2008 event to Argentina via golden goal.

Prince Charles to attend CWG opening ceremony

NEW DELHI, April 1: Britain's Prince Charles will attend the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here.

The Games are scheduled to be held between October 3 and October 14.

"We are delighted to announce that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales will represent Her Majesty The Queen at the opening of the Delhi Commonwealth Games in October," a British High Commission spokesperson today said in a statement.

"Further details will follow in due course," the release added.

The opening and closing ceremonies, athletics, lawn bowls, and weightlifting will take place at the Nehru Stadium, which will have a capacity of 75,000 spectators after renovation for the games.

The 2010 Games are the nineteenth edition of the Commonwealth Games, and the ninth to be held under that name. The games will be the largest multi-sport event conducted to date in India, which has previously hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982.

Shuttler Saina storms into top-five of world rankings

NEW DELHI, March 18: Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal touched a new high on Thursday as she zoomed into the top-five of the world rankings at a career-best fifth spot following her stupendous show in the All England Badminton Championships earlier this month.

Saina, whose previous best on the chart was the sixth spot she attained last year, surprised one and all by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals of the prestigious All England Super Series Championships.

Saina lost to Tine Rasmussen of the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the event.

Riding on her fantastic show, the Indian gained a couple of spots in the latest list with 58516.7646 points in her kitty.

Chinese shuttlers dominate the top half of the women's rankings with Yihan Wang leading the pack followed by Wang Lin, Xin Wang and Jiang Yanjiao respectively.

In the men's rankings, Chetan Anand dropped a rung to 10th but P Kashyap gained one spot to be 29th. Arvind Bhat remained static at 36th but Anup Sridhar slipped to 40th, a loss of one position.

In the mixed doubles rankings, Jwala Gutta and V Diju's pair slipped one spot to 10th in the latest list.

Tendulkar writes history by scoring first 200 in ODI

GWALIOR, Feb 24: Sachin Tendulkar rewrote history on Wednesday by smashing the first double century in ODI cricket as India crushed South Africa by 153 runs in the second one-dayer to clinch the three-match series with one game to spare.

Tendulkar (200 not out) became the first batsman in the four-decade history of ODI to hammer a double century as India piled on a mammoth 401 for three and then skittled out South Africa for 248 in 42.5 overs for a facile win.

With this victory, India not only took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and rendered Saturday's third and final match in Ahmadabad inconsequential but also ensured there was no threat to their status as the number two ODI side in the world.

For them, Dinesh Karthik (79 off 85 balls), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (68 not out off 35 balls) and Yusuf Pathan (36 off 23 balls) starred with the bat but the day belonged to Tendulkar.

Everything else paled in comparison to Tendulkar's epic 147-ball blistering knock, studded with 25 fours and three sixes, as the master blaster treated the capacity crowd at the Captain Roop Singh stadium to a stunning exhibition of strokeplay.

It was not only Tendulkar's 46th ODI century but also the highest score in one-dayers, eclipsing the previous record of 194 which was held jointly by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe's Charles Conventry.

Charl Langvedt went into the history books as Tendulkar steered the pacer to the off side to get to the magical figure as the packed stadium went into a frenzy.

Tendulkar's previous best was an unbeaten 186 against New Zealand made at Hyderabad in 1999.

South Africa's mammoth chase looked doomed as Praveen Kumar cheaply castled swashbuckling opener Herschelle Gibbs (7) in the third over.

S Sreesanth (3/49) removed Roelof van der Merwe (12) with his fourth delivery and returned to see the back of in-form Hashim Amla (34 off 22 balls).

Ashish Nehra got the better of Jacques Kallis (11) in his second spell and by the 23rd over, South Africa were gasping for breath at 134 for seven.

AB de Villiers (114 not out) showed the kind of defiance not seen in his teammates as he hit his fifth ODI century. He added 77 runs with Wayne Parnell (18) to delay the inevitable but South Africa's defeat was just a matter of time by then.

De Villier's unbeaten 101-ball knock had 13 fours and two sixes in it.

It all, however, was reduced to a footnote today as Tendulkar made history.

During his unforgettable knock, Tendulkar rattled up a record 194-run second-wicket partnership with Dinesh Karthik, who recorded his career best 79 off 85 balls with the help of four fours and three six.

They bettered the earlier Indian record of 181 runs that Tendulkar had put together with Rahul Dravid against the same opposition at Nagpur in 2000.

It was Tendulkar all over as he also shared quick and big partnerships with Pathan and skipper Dhoni to pile the agony on the South Africans.

With Pathan he added 81 runs for the third wicket, which ended when the Baroda all-rounder fell to Roelf van der Merwe.

Pathan played his own aggressive brand of game and was ruthless against Parnell, hitting the left-armer for two sixes and a four in the 38th over.

Then for the fourth wicket, Tendulkar and Dhoni raised an unbeaten 101-run stand, which took India to its highest score against South Africa.

Earlier, Wayne Parnell had cut short Virender Sehwag's (9) stay but once Karthik joined Tendulkar in the middle, India were always in charge.

Sachin has climbed the Mt Everest of the game: Pratibha Patil

NEW DELHI, Feb 24: President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday congratulated Sachin Tendulkar for becoming the first cricketer to score a double ton in One-day internationals and said the “master batsman” has climbed the Mt Everest of the game.

“Sachin Tendulkar has yet again rewritten the record books of cricket, by climbing yet another Mt Everest of the game,” Patil said in a message.

She said in setting a new benchmark for the highest score by a batsman in One-day internationals as well as in notching up a double century, “the master batsman has set stiff targets” for future generation of cricketers to break.

Terming it a “magnificent achievement”, the Prime Minister said that Sachin has led by “example and that all Indians are proud of his achievement“.

Singh wished him many more glorious years in his cricketing career.

Tendulkar created history by becoming the first cricketer to score a double century in One-day internationals with a breath0taking unbeaten 200 to steer India to a massive 401 for three against South Africa in the second cricket ODI in Gwalior.

Tiger Woods apologizes for 'irresponsible and selfish behavior'

MELBOURNE, Feb 18: An emotional Woods finally broke his silence on the sex scandal that engulfed him last year. Also, the 34-year-old confirmed he had been in rehabilitation for 45 days, but didn't reveal details of his treatment.

The No. 1 golfer admitted he cheated and had affairs, but called on the media to respect the privacy of his family, reports News.com.au.

"Elin and I have started the process of discussing my behaviour but I know my apology to her will not come in the form of words but in my behaviour over time. We have a lot to discuss and what we do say will remain between the two of us," he said.

Speaking about press, he said: "Please leave my wife and kids alone. They did not do these things, I did."

He also utilized the conference to dismiss reports that his wife had hit him on the night of his car crash last November, saying: "It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elin never hit me that night or any other night."

India defeat South Africa, retain No 1 Test spot

KOLKATA, Feb 18: India defeated South Africa with a huge margin to retain their No.1 Test spot in the ICC rankings. Harbhajan Singh scalped the last wicket of Amla to get India this crucial win.

Dhoni world's 'most destructive' batsman: Laxman

KOLKATA, Feb 18: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the "most destructive" batsman in the contemporary cricket, feels VVS Laxman, who shared an unbeaten 259-run partnership with the skipper on third day of second Test at Eden Gardens.

"I think, he (Dhoni) is the most destructive batsman in the world at the moment. He is a like an all-rounder and is such destructive as a batsman that put the opposition under pressure," Laxman told reporters after the day's proceedings.

"You can see the body language of the bowlers whenever Dhoni gets in. They become very defensive in the way they bowl and field. We are really happy that he is coming at number seven and doing the required job," he added.

Laxman, who cracked an unbeaten 143, and Dhoni (132n.o.) helped the hosts amass 643 for six before declaring the first innings in reply to South Africa's 296.

Laxman, who has produced some of his classy knocks at the Eden, was also highly impressed with the temperament of his skipper.

"It's also good that he is converting those fifties into big hundreds. It's also good that whenever he gets a hundred, he gets in quick pace. It's great when a number seven batsman comes and destroys the opposition," he said.

"Everyone in our team has specific role. it's important that we play to our strength. We don't try to copy or emulate, that's the beauty of our team, which have unique style. But our ultimate aim is to deliver for the team," he added.