Sandeep to lead 18-man squad in Asia Cup

NEW DELHI: Sandeep Singh will lead a 18-man squad as India defend their Asia Cup hockey title in Kuantan, Malaysia, from May 9.


There were four changes to the side that won the Azlan Shah Cup earlier this month. Ignace Tirkey, Sarwanjit Singh, Bharat Chhikara and Shivendra Singh have been replaced by V Raghunath, Vikram Pillay, Rajpal Singh and Hari Prasad. Shivendra, who has been recovering from a shoulder injury, has been put on the stand-by list.

India will attempt to lift the Asia Cup title for the third time after having won it in 2003 (Kuala Lumpur) and 2007 (Chennai).

The winner of the Asia Cup will get an automatic entry to the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Baljit Singh, Adrian D'Souza

Full Backs: Sandeep Singh (captain), Dilip Tirkey, V.Raghunath

Midfielders: Gurbaj Singh, Sardar Singh, Ajitesh Roy, Vikram Pillay, Prabodh Tirkey, V.S.Vinaya

Forwards: Tushar Khandker, Rajpal Singh, Prabhjot Singh, S.V.Sunil, Arjun Halappa, Hari Prasad, Gurvinder Singh Chandi

Standbyes: P.R.Sreejesh, Sarwanjit Singh, Bharat Chhikara, Shivendra Singh

PooL A: South Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Sri Lanka

POOL B: India, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh

Fixture (India's matches):

May 9: India vs. Bangladesh; May 10: India vs. Pakistan; May 12: India vs. China; May 14: semi-finals; May 16: Final

Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Sandeep-to-lead-18-man-squad-in-Asia-Cup/articleshow/4448787.cms

Jeev rises to 36, Randhawa slips to 113 in golf rankings

NEW DELHI: Jeev Milkha Singh rose a place to 36th in the latest golf rankings but missing the cut in the Ballantine's Championship cost Jyoti Randhawa three places as the lanky pro slipped to 113rd.

Randhawa missed the cut at the Ballantine Championship, co-sanctioned by European and Asian Tours, with a below-par two-day total of 149 to slip from his previous week's 110th place.

However, Jeev, who took a break last week after missing the cut in Verizon Heritage on the PGA Tour, moved one placed up the ladder.

Among other Indians, Arjun Atwal is placed 244th, while SSP Chowrasia is ranked 358 in the official ranking.

Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Jeev-rises-Randhawa-slips-in-rankings-/articleshow/4454830.cms

Bolt thinks he can lower 100m record to 9.4 seconds

BOSTON: Jamaican Usain Bolt has his sights set on smashing his already electrifying 100 metres world record, the triple Olympic champion said on Sunday.

"I think I could definitely go faster, 9.5," Bolt, whose record is 9.69 seconds, said.

"I think I could go 9.4, but I think the world stops at 9.4."

For 2009, Bolt, who broke the 100 and 200 metres world records and helped Jamaica to the 4x100 metres relay record at the Beijing Olympics last year, hopes to win similar titles at the world championships in Berlin in August.

But his ambitions do not stop there.

"I want to be a legend in sports," the 22-year-old told reporters earlier at a news conference.

"I want to just keep the level of competition high ... so when I face the media every year, they will say Usain was the only guy to, ever, every season be on top -- that's my aim."

He brushed aside recent comments from British sprinter Dwain Chambers that he could be Bolt's key challenger in Berlin.

"As soon as you start focusing on one person, then you start losing," said Bolt.

"If I focus on beating Asafa (Powell), what about Tyson Gay?

"The only thing I have fear of is getting injured. I don't fear people."

The sprinter's traditionally fearless approach to his diet, however, has been curtailed by coach Glen Mills.

The pre-race chicken nuggets he downed in Beijing will take a back seat to more wholesome fare such as pasta and potatoes, Bolt said.

"I'm an only child of my mom," Bolt said with a sheepish grin. "If I don't have to worry about something, I don't."

Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/