FIFA begins inspection for 2018-2022 World Cups

FIFA begins inspection for 2018-2022 World Cups

Tokyo, July 20: A FIFA inspection committee has started a visit to the 12 countries vying to host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022. The visit to Japan on Monday marks the start of a long tour to evaluate countries, which will conclude in Qatar in September, after the other seven candidates are visited and evaluated, Prensa Latina reported. Each city will be visited for at least for four days and the work of the FIFA commission is to see if they are really ready, and evaluate the conditions of their sites, facilities, infrastructure and other aspects. The commission is headed by Chilean Soccer Federation president Harold Mayne Nicholls. A new stadium will be built in Osaka - provisionally called Osaka Ecology Stadium - with a capacity for 83,000 people, and it could be the site of the 2022 World Cup’s opening and final matches if Japan is finally elected as the host. Australia, South Korea, Qatar, the US and Japan are the candidates for the 2022 World Cup, while Britain, the US, Russia, Australia, Belgium/Holland (dual candidature) and Spain/Portugal are bidding for 2018. Spain/Portugal will be evaluated Aug 30-Sep 2, the US Sep 6-9, and Qatar September 13-17. The final decision will be made Dec 2 in Zurich, Switzerland. (IANS)

India pushed to the wall as Lanka pile up mammoth total

India pushed to the wall as Lanka pile up mammoth total

GALLE, July 20: India were left with an arduous task of batting their way to safety after losing three key wickets in the rain-hit first Test against Sri Lanka who took firm control of the game by scoring an imposing first innings total of 520/8 declared on Tuesday.

The hosts relied on the heroics of their tailenders Rangana Herath (80 not out) and Lasith Malinga (64) to rattle up a mammoth total before declaring their innings at tea and shut a struggling India out of the game.

Herath and Malinga turned out to be the unlikely batting heroes as the islanders recovered from a few early jolts and had the visitors in trouble by the end of the day by dismissing Gautam Gambhir (2), Rahul Dravid (18) and Sachin Tendulkar (8).

Virender Sehwag (85), who payed with his usual flamboyance, and VVS Laxman (18) ensured that there were no more setbacks as they took the score to 140/3 at close on the third day with the hosts still trailing by 380 runs.