Bhaichung prepares for legal battle

Kolkata, June 9 (PTI) India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia who was yesterday suspended by Mohun Bagan club for six months, has started exploring legal options with his lawyer Usha Nath Banerjee today asserting that the footballer was no longer a registered player with the Kolkata club.

Stating that the football season was over and Bhutia was no longer a registered Bagan player, Banerjee said that he would be a "free footballer" till he registers himself again with the Indian Football Association (IFA) for 2009-10 season.

"Bhutia has a contract with Mohun Bagan till 2010. But his contract does not become operative until he registers himself with IFA," Banerjee told reporters here.

"Bhaichung has personally requested me to represent him. So I'm here for my client. However, I will not disclose our next move which you will come to know shortly," Banerjee said.

However, Mohun Bagan general secretary Anjan Mitra said their decision to suspend Bhutia is completely in accordance with the rule. PTI

South Africa beat New Zealand by 1 run

LONDON: South Africa rode on some excellent bowling to clinch a one-run win over New Zealand in a thrilling Group D clash of the ICC World Twenty20 at Lord's.


With both teams having already qualified for the Super Eight stage, this was about keeping the momentum going and South Africa earned the bragging rights as they restricted New Zealand to 127 for five.


But things didn't go as planned for Graeme Smith's men as they managed just 128 for seven after they were put into bat by New Zealand stand-in skipper Brendon McCullum.

However, some excellent work in the field allowed Proteas to get even as they stifled the Kiwis, who at one stage were cruising along nicely with McCullum (57), who led the side in the absence of the injured Daniel Vettori, putting on 56 runs with Ross Taylor (22) for the third wicket.

New Zealand suffered a setback early on when they lost Martin Guptill (6) and Neil Broom (1) cheaply.

However, McCullum, who was rather cautious, managing just six boundaries in his 54-ball knock, and Taylor did a good job in repairing the innings.

Taylor fought gamely on despite suffering from a hamstring strain and needing a runner before his stumps was shattered by a RE van der Merwe delivery.

That dismissal put the brakes on New Zealand and they struggled to get going. McCullum fell trying to improve the run rate, Mark Boucher taking off the bails behind stumps from a Van der Merwe delivery.

Jacob Oram (24 off 18 balls) did his best to see the team through, but fell one run short.

Earlier, some brilliant bowling and excellent fielding helped New Zealand restrict South Africa to 128.

McCullum's decision to field first was vindicated with the bowlers keeping the dangerous South African batsmen in check. They were aided in their cause by two brilliant run outs that got rid of Jacques Kallis (24) and later the in-form AB Villiers (15).

Kallis' run out to a brilliant piece of fielding by McCullum put the brakes on South Africa after he and skipper Graeme Smith (33) put on 49 for the opening wicket.

Veteran Scott Styris then removed Herschelle Gibbs (3) and Ian Butler bowled Smith to put South Africa in even more trouble.

Van der Merwe (0) came and went and that brought de Villiers to the crease.

He showed his intent with a four off Mills but fell trying a non-existent second run as Martin Guptill's throw from the deep knocked off the stumps at the non-striking end.

JP Duminy (29) hit a couple of sixes towards the end to prop up the South African innings but fell trying to hit one too many.

Source:TOI

Nadal will fight to be fit for Wimbledon

MADRID: Champion Rafael Nadal will do all he can to fix problems with his knees and be fit to defend his Wimbledon title this month, he said on Tuesday after tests at a clinic in Barcelona.

The world number one was forced out of this week's traditional Wimbledon warm-up tournament at Queen's Club with tendinitis and said he faced two tough weeks of recuperation before Wimbledon gets underway on June 22.

"I will give 200 percent to be at 100 percent for the most important date in world tennis and the tournament that has always excited me the most," the Spaniard said in a statement.

"I have been playing with pain in my knees for several months and personally I cannot continue like this," he added.

"The pain was limiting me physically in certain movements which meant I was also suffering mentally. I will not take to any court, and certainly not the Wimbledon centre court, unless I know I am 100 percent."

After his shock defeat to Robin Soderling at the French Open nine days ago, Nadal said he had been advised to rest by doctors and pulled out of Queen's in London, where he was also defending champion.

He said he would have physiotherapy in the coming days and Spanish tennis federation (RFET) doctor Angel Ruiz Cotorro said the treatment would include anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle work.

Nadal has blamed his injury problems on what he calls the overloaded tennis calendar and last season missed the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai and Spain's Davis Cup victory over Argentina.

He said he would travel to London next Tuesday.

Source:TOI

Anand wins 5-3 against Leko

Miskolc (Hungary), Jun 9 (PTI) World Champion Viswanatan Anand won the rapid match against Hungarian Peter Leko with a comfortable 5-3 margin after drawing the last two games on the final day here on Monday.

Both the games saw a keen tussle between the two players. Anand was seen pressing even as he was unable to overcome Leko's defence.

In the end both games ended in draws.

The Indian ace had won two of the eight games in this match earlier and with six draws it turned out to be another cherished performance by Anand.

The Indian maintained his match victories for the second time in a row as he had beaten Kramnik in the last world championship at Bonn in Germany.

This loss in the match on his home turf turned out to be the third in a row for Leko. The Hungarian had started this series way back in 2006 when he beat former world champion Anatoly Karpov of Russia but since then his hunt for an elusive victory against a world class player is on.

In 2007 Vladimir Kramnik turned out to be superior while in 2008 Norwegian Magnus Carlsen dented Leko's confidence.

It was a Semi Slav defense by Leko once again in the seventh game and Anand expectedly opted for a solid system with white pieces. Getting a nagging advantage in the middle game Anand tried to put pressure along the central files but found Leko well armed with his defense. PTI

Jeev 34th, Randhawa 134th in golf rankings

NEW DELHI: Jeev Milkha Singh hung on to his 34th place in the official World Golf Rankings after his sixth place finish in the Wales Open while compa triot Jyoti Randhawa slipped seven places to 134th.

Jeev, who shared the sixth place with Simon Dyson, Oliver Fischer and Richard Green at five-under 279 at the Celtic Minor Resort, maintained his previous week's place to remain the highest ranked Indian golfer.

Randhawa's tied 49th finish in the same European Tour event was not enough to avert a slide as he lost seven places to finish 134th.

US-based Arjun Atwal, who is out of action due to injury, remains static at 260th.

Soruce:TOI