India lose to Oz Development team

Brisbane, Feb 18: India suffered the first defeat of their Australia-New Zealand tour when they were beaten 3-5 by the Australian Development squad at the State Hockey Centre, here late last night.

The hosts, who led 3-1 at the half time, profited due to a lacklustre Indian showing both in attack and defence.

The Aussies scored through Jason Wilson (10th min), Nick Budgeon (22nd min), Joel Carrol (27th min), Liam de Young (52nd min) and Mark Patterson (66th min).
The Indian marksmen were Sandeep Singh (16th), VR Raghunath (37th) and Tushar Khandker (64th min). PTI

GTC in semifinal of Bud Cricket

By our Sports Reporter
GUWAHATI, Feb 18: Gauhati Town Club moved into the semifinal of the 7th Jugal Kishore Newatia Bud Challenge Cup Cricket Tournament defeating Silchar Cricket Coaching Centre by six wickets in a quarter-final match held at the Nehru Stadium here today. Krishanu Majumder of Gauhati Town Club was the star of the day who played a well composed innings of 54 runs to guide his team to the victory.

It was the second match for both the teams in the championship but Gauhati Town Club had to play two back-to-back matches on two consecutive days.
In the morning it was Gauhati Town Club who won the toss and invited Silchar Cricket Coaching Centre to bat first. The Silchar outfit though batted well in their first match against Tinsukia Railway, failed to display a similar performance today and were bowled out for 146 runs in 39. 4 overs.

Santosh Das was the top scorer for the visitors with his 39 run innings with the help of three boundaries. Anuj Sirohi (25) was the other major scorer for Silchar Cricket Coaching Centre. Three bowlers of Gauhati Town Club—Javed Akhtar Khan (2-17), Binoy Kalita (2-19) and Parag Barman (2-26) were the successful bowlers.

Gauhati Town Club didn’t face to many problems to chase down the target and they won the match scoring 148 runs for the loss of four wickets in 35.3 overs. Krishanu Majumdar, who was adjudged the best player award of the match, played a solid knock of 54 runs that came in 87 deliveries and the batsman hit five boundaries. Raju Das picked up two wickets for 31 runs.

Brief scores: Silchar Cricket Coaching Centre 146 (39.4); Santosh Das 34, Anuj Sirohi 25, Javed Akhtar Khan 2-17, Binoy Kalita 2-19, Parag Barman 2-26. Gauhati Town Club 148-4 (35.3 overs); Krishanu Majumder 54, Nitin Das 25, Amzad Ali 20, Raju Das 2-31.
Today’s match: RCA (Gaziabad) vs Guwahati Cricket Coaching Centre.

Jeev eyes full PGA Tour card for 2010

NEW DELHI: Next week's Northern Trust Open in California will be first of the 12 tournaments Jeev Milkha Singh plans to play in the US this season and the Indian pro is confident of doing decent enough to seal his full PGA Tour card for 2010.

"I will be playing six weeks in an eight-week period and be back after the Augusta Masters," said a relaxed Jeev as he prepared to leave for the US.

"I have a start in all the Majors and the WGC events and the Invitationals and I will get some other invites. Hopefully in these I shall be able to have good enough finishes to make my card and playing rights for the full PGA Tour in 2010," said the Indian.

Apart from securing his card for the next year, doing well in the Majors figure quite high on Jeev's agenda.

"Playing and doing well on the world's biggest and toughest Tour and achieving good results at the Majors is the goal of every professional. I am going all out to try and do that this year," said Jeev.

A veritable golfing nomad who played virtually non-stop on Asian, European, Japan and PGA Tours over the years, Jeev has decided to slow down and he in fact played only three events in the West Asia this year.

"Cutting down events and focusing on US for the first few months has been my plan for 2009. I want to play 33 weeks or so and play well to get my ranking further up. I have enjoyed the Majors and I want to do well in them this season," Jeev said.

"I had a mixed start in the Middle East. I had two top-20 finishes in Qatar and Dubai. But the good thing I hit the ball well and got to the greens in regulation often enough to give myself birdie chances. But I did not hole many of those putts. I am not going to get worried as this is just the start," he added.

In the next eight weeks, Jeev will tee off in six events, including two World Golf Championship events - the World Matchplay and WGC-CA Championships - and the Augusta Masters. The other events will be Northern Trust Open, Arnold Palmer invitational and the Shell Houston Open.

In the latter part of the season, Jeev hopes to play six more events in US and some in Europe and Asia.

"Yes, I will play some in Europe and Asia, but the focus as I have been saying is going to be US," he concluded.

Source: TOI

Milan want Beckham until at least June 2010: Source

AC Milan are willing to sign David Beckham until at least the end of next season, a source at the Italian club said on Wednesday.

The England midfielder, on a two-month loan at Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy until March 9, has said he wants to stay with the Serie A club as he tries to increase his chances of playing at a fourth World Cup in 2010.

"We hope to sign Beckham until at least June 30, 2010", an AC Milan source said. The former England captain will be 35-year-old by the start of the next World Cup in South Africa.

Milan remain confident of sealing a deal by Friday after a deadline imposed by Major League Soccer to complete the move passed last week.

Milan director Umberto Gandini is expected to fly to Los Angeles on Thursday to try to negotiate the transfer.

Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Tuesday there was still "a bit of distance" between the two sides over the deal, but talks have been continuing.

Various estimates of the transfer fee required by Galaxy have been cited by the media after Milan's opening offer of five million euros ($6.3 million) was turned down.

Some reports have said Galaxy want about 12 million while Milan sources say they are only willing to go to eight.

Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Milan-want-Beckham-until-June-2010-Source/articleshow/4151129.cms

Hewitt ousts Blake as Roddick drops Darcis

MEMPHIS (Tennessee): Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt sent third-seeded American James Blake tumbling out of the first-round of the $1.22 million ATP and WTA hardcourt tennis tournament on Wednesday.

Hewitt notched the upset of the day with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Blake.

Hewitt, a former world number one, bounced back from a sloppy first set to improve to 8-1 lifetime in head-to-head matchups with Blake.

Despite the weary history, Blake entered as a heavy favorite to pull off his second victory over Hewitt, who had battled a myriad of injuries throughout 2008 and has dropped to 103rd in the world rankings.

Instead Hewitt booked a second-round clash with compatriot Chris Guccione, who was called up along with Hewitt Wednesday for Australia's Davis Cup tie against Thailand in March.

Top-seeded American Roddick launched his quest for a first title of 2009 by dispatching defending champion Steve Darcis of Belgium 7-6, (7/1), 6-2.

Roddick has reached three finals over his previous eight appearances at this hardcourt event, but has only the 2002 crown to show for it.

Although Roddick has yet to lift a trophy this year, he boasts a runner-up finish in Doha and semi-final showings at the Australian Open and San Jose.

Darcis, the shock winner here last year, remains in search of his first match win of the year after first-round departures at Brisbane, Auckland, the Australian Open and San Jose.

Roddick, ranked sixth in the world, was one of six American men in action on Wednesday.

He advanced to a meeting with compatriot Robby Ginepri, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over German qualifier Simon Greul.

Fifth-seeded Czech Radek Stepanek, who won the title in San Jose on Sunday, also reached the second round, beating American qualifier Kevin Kim 6-4, 6-2.

Seventh seed Mardy Fish also benefited from the partisan crowd as he topped Taipei's Lu Yun-Hsun Lu 6-1, 7-5.

Eighth-seeded Sam Querrey - in the same half of the draw as compatriots Roddick, Blake and Fish - downed German veteran Tommy Haas 7-6, (7/4), 6-4.

On the women's side, Danish top seed Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating France's Severine Bremond 6-1, 7-6 (7/1).

Wozniacki will next face Dutch qualifier Michaella Krajicek, the only unseeded player in the women's final eight.

Also claiming quarter-final spots were Czech third seed Lucie Safarova, British fourth seed Anne Keothavong, German sixth seed Sabine Lisicki and eighth seed Pauline Parmentier of France.

Britain's Keothavong defeated Portugal's Michelle Larcherde Brito 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 to book a date against New Zealand's fifth-seeded Marina Erakovic.

Parmentier eliminated South African qualifier Chanelle Scheepers 6-4, 6-1 and will next meet second seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

Safarova ousted American Vania King 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, to book a final-eight date with Lisicki, who defeated France's Stephanie Foretz 6-2, 6-4.

Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hewitt-ousts-Blake-as-Roddick-drops-Darcis/articleshow/4153639.cms

Azharuddin to join Congress, confirms Moily

NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin is all set to join the Congress party, as confirmed by spokesperson Veerappa Moily.

Speaking exclusively to TIMES NOW, the AICC General Secretary said, "I know him since 25 years. He expressed his desire to join the Congress. He wants the Congress to come back to power. I took up this matter with the Congress president, who has agreed to admit him into the party

When asked whether he will contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls from Andhra Pradesh, Moily said, "Till today we have not discussed the constituency. He is joining the party unconditionally. He is very fond of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The matter whether he will contest for the LS polls will be discussed later."

When quizzed on whether the party is worried about Azhar's past, as there is a life-ban imposed on him by the BCCI, Moily added, "There is no criminal case against Azhar. If there is a case at all then it is only between the BCCI and him, which has been filed by Azhar himself against the ban."

Justifying Congress' decision to induct Azhar into the party, Moily said, "Remember, he served the Indian cricket for 9 years as a captain with outstanding performance. He has filed a case against the ban imposed by the BCCI and that is not a criminal matter."

Meanwhile, he decided not to comment on actor Sanjay Dutt's admission into the Samajwadi Party saying, "We have no comment on Sanjay Dutt. It is up to him to join any party he wants."

Earlier, reports suggested that Azharuddin is scheduled to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi after which he is likely to visit the party headquarters and formally announce his foray into the world of politics.

Already in New Delhi, Azhar had a late-evening meeting with some of the senior party leaders on Wednesday (February 18).

Reports stated that the Congress is likely to field Azharuddin on his home turf Andhra Pradesh, where the Congress can cash in on his popularity.

Inducting the former skipper into the party is part of a Congress plan to accommodate celebrities from different fields. This is in keeping with the party effort to project a youthful and happening image for itself.

Known for his fabled catching abilities, Azhar can face a tough challenge to prove that there will be no misses on the new turf as well.

Soruce: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Azharuddin-to-join-Congress-Moily/articleshow/4153419.cms