Current pole vaulters lack technique: Sergey Bubka

Amit Kumar Das
New Delhi, Mar 17 (PTI) Legendary pole vaulter Sergey
Bubka reckons the 6.14m mark he set way back in 1994 still
remains uneclipsed because his successors are not technically
equipped enough.
"It is better to ask athletes who are still competing,
why they cannot jump higher. But I think it has to do with
their technique," the six consecutive IAAF World Champion told
PTI during the Laureus sports award in Abu Dhabi recently.
"It is technique that can allow them to jump 6.20, 6.30
and go to another level. I think this (technique) is the main
reason why they came close but could not better the mark," he
explained.
The Ukrainian legend, who broke the world record for
men's pole vault 35 times -- 17 outdoor and 18 indoor -- has
only one Olympics gold and the maestro said he wanted to have
more.
"I'm lucky to win one gold medal. Of course, in some way,
I missed 1984 because of boycott. It could have been a good
chance. Another time I was injured. I tried to be back but
didn't succeed.
"Olympics is Olympics, it is the most powerful and
popular event. I wanted to have more but perhaps I deserved
only one," Bubka said.
Though he had complete dominance on pole vaulting at his
time, he was highly unlucky in the Olympic Games. The first
Olympics after his introduction into international athletics
was in 1984, which was boycotted by the USSR. (More) PTI ATK
AY SHN
Two months before the games, Bubka vaulted 12 cm higher
than the eventual Olympic gold medal winner Pierre Quinon.
In 1988, Bubka entered the Seoul Olympics and won his
only Olympic gold but in 1992 he failed to clear in his first
three attempts and was out of the Barcelona Olympics.
A heel injury spoilt his Atlanta Olympics in 1996 as he
was forced to withdraw from the competition without making
even a single jump and in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Bubka was
eliminated from the final after three attempts at 5.70 m.
The strapping vaulter officially retired in 2001.
Asked whom he considers to be the best among the current
vaulters, Bubka said, "Today most impressive are the female
pole vaulters because we don't have stronger leader in men.
Last year's Steve Hooker was in leading position in Olympics
but the most impressive is Yelena Isinbayeva."
Bubka won his first gold in the 1983 World Championships
in Helsinki, clearing 5.70 metres and then went on to win five
successive golds in pole vaulting in World Championship till
1997 in Athens.
Until the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics (USSR) in late 1991, Bubka competed for Soviet teams
and later represented Ukraine. PTI ATK SHN

Return of Clijsters, Henin good for women tennis: Monica Seles

Amit Kumar Das
Abu Dhabi, Mar 15 (PTI) The women tennis has got richer
and the WTA competition more challenging with the return of
Justin Henin and Kim Clijsters, says former star Monica Seles,
who has no doubt that the former will be a contender at the
French Open -- the next Grand Slam of the season.
The two Belgian players recently came out of retirements
to make a stupendous comeback to the competitive tennis.
On her return, Clijsters became the first unranked player
and wildcard to win US Open and the first mother to win a
major since Evonne Goolagong in 1980.
Henin too has proved that she is still the same force
which she was before by reaching the finals of the Brisbane
International and the Australian Open this year.
"I think 2010 is going to be as good as it can get. With
the two (Henin and Kim) pushing Serena, Venus Williams, Jelena
Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Dinara Safina, it is going to be
really good. To me all this is going to be great as a tennis
fan," Seles said recently at the Laureas Awards ceremony here.
Now the clay court of the Roland Garros are awaiting
Henis where she has triumphed four times -- including three
consecutive title wins -- before.
Interestingly, it was Seles only who won three French
Open titles in a row in the open era before Henin equalled her
record and the former World number one says the Belgian is
there to grab the fifth trophy in May-June.
"As a former player when I watch, I'd like the best
players to play against each other. That's where you see the
highest level of tennis being played. The Australian Open was
great. The French Open will be even more interesting. Justin
will be the favourite to win the French Open," Seles said.
The Hungarian-American player is eagerly waiting the
second Grand Slam to unfold.
"But Kim is a great mover and a fantastic player. I can't
wait for the French Open to start and watch Kim and Justine
play," Seles, bubbling with joy, said.
Seles, who was listed as 13th greatest player of all time
by 'Tennis magazine', is amazed by the incredible comeback of
the two Belgian players, who she says have become a source of
inspiration for the women tennis players.
"I think, for Kim to have a child along the way and come
back and win a Grand Slam (US Open) last year is really
amazing. The way she played with such mental toughness and
conviction in the US Open will be an inspiration to any
woman.
"And Justin's comeback is great for the sport. She has
already shown her mettle in the Australian Open this year. But
she lost to Serena in the final," she added.
Talking about Roger Federer, Seles said the Swiss star
will set such records that would be hard to break for any
tennis player in years to come.
"It's been an unbelievable year (2009) for him. After a
brief bad period, how he came back to win the French and US
Open was amazing. He is a great ambassador for the game not
only on court but also off-court.
"Roger has dominated his sport to a level we have not
seen before. He is going to set records which won't be broken
for a long time," Seles said.
World Number one in 1991-1992, Seles was forced out of
the sport for more than two years following an on-court
attack by a German spectator, who stabbed her in the back.
But the gritty player battled her way back to the courts
and won the 1996 Australian Open, before announcing her
retirement in 2008.
Seles currently works on women issues and has got herself
involved with various forums like Laureus.
"I do tennis clinics for kids in USA as I like them to
get involved in sports. I also give motivational speech for
women on weight loss issues," said Seles, a member of the
International Tennis Hall of Fame.
"I became an Laureus Academy member recently. I believe
in their message. I have been involved in a project in South
Africa and two different projects in New York. I went to White
House this year to push in for equality for women sports," she
added. PTI ATK DB AT

'Lighting' Bolt named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

Amit Kumar Das
Abu Dhabi, Mar 10 (PTI) Olympic gold medallist sprinter
Usain Bolt won the prestigious Laureus World Sportsman of the
Year award for the second consecutive time while American
tennis player Serena Williams bagged the women's prize in a
glittering function at the Emirates palace here tonight.
The Jamaican was honoured for his sterling performances
this year, where he won three more gold medals at the World
Championships, continuing his amazing blitz on sprinting after
the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Bolt, nicknamed "Lightning Bolt", pipped other strong
contenders for this award such as tennis sensation Roger
Federer, who won French Open and Wimbledon last year, FIFA
footballer of the year Lionel Messi.
Bolt, who was not personally present at the function,
send his message through a video conference after winning the
award.
"I am focusing on 2012 London Olympics and breaking more
records. But I am not keen on running 400m hurdles," an
ecstatic Bolt said.
Sizzling tennis star Serena, who won two grand slam title
– Australian Open and Wimbledon – last year now stands only
second to Roger Federer, who has so far won Laureus award four
times.
Williams had won the Laureus comeback award in 2007,
while Federer won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award from
2005-2008.
The ace tennis star rose to the peak of tennis when she
regained the world No 1 ranking for the fifth time in her
career. She also broke the record set by Justine Henin for the
most prize money earned by a female tennis player in one
season with a total of USD 6,545,586 during the year.
Serena, who also couldn't make it to the event, said she
was delighted to have won the award.
"I am very happy to win this Award. I feel bad that I
cannot be in Abu Dhabi. It's my third Laureus Award and I
would like to thank all the Academy Members who voted for me
and to the world's media who nominated me. Its is great to
have got so much support after last year's ups and downs," she
said through video conference.
"As a tennis player you look at the amazing names of the
Academy Members - like John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova,
Boris Becker and Monica Seles - who have won so many Grand
Slams and they know what it takes to do that. There is nothing
better in sport than being acknowledged by the people that you
looked up to when you were a young player," she added.
"I think I was also nominated four more times. I know
only Roger Federer has more Awards, so it would be cool to
catch him up."
About the 2010 season, Serena said it will be an exciting
year with Henin and Kim making a comeback. "I've had a few
injury problems over the years, so it's been great to get back
to the top and be World No 1 again. It's going to be an
interesting year with Justine Henin back, but I'm playing well
and I want to win every tournament I play."
Among others, reigning Formula One World Drivers'
Champion Jeson Button won the Breakthrough of the year Award,
while his last year's team Brawn GP was named Laureus World
Team of the year.
Belgium sensation Kim Clijsters, who shocked the world by
winning the US open on her come back to tennis after an
absence of two years following her retirement, won the Laureus
Comeback of the Year Award.
South African swimmer Natalie Du Toit, who won five golds
during the 2008 Summer Paralympics, won the Laureus disability
award, while Australia's three-time World surfing champion
Stephanie Gilmore was named Laureus World action Sportsperson
of the Year.
Academy member Nawal El Moutawakel received the Laureus
lifetime achievement award for her work for women in sport and
the International Olympic committee. And the sport for good
award went to American basketball legend Dikembe Mutombo for
his charitable work in his native Congo.
The Awards Ceremony was attended by global figures from
the world of sports and entertainment, including Franz
Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Ian Botham, Sergey Bubka, Nadia
Comaneci, Kapil Dev, Emerson Fittipaldi, Cathy Freeman, Mika
Hakkinen, Mike Horn, Edwin Moses, Nawal El Moutawakel, Monica
Seles, and Steve Waugh.
Among the Hollywood stars were double Oscar-winning actor
Kevin Spacey, who hosted the glittering Awards Ceremony,
Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow, UK film stars Hugh
Grant and Clive Owen, US actors Kyle MacLachlan from Desperate
Housewives and Michelle Rodriguez who played leading roles in
the Oscar-winning movie 'Avatar' and the TV series 'Lost'.
Also present were Grammy nominated singer-songwriter
Mika, England Test cricketer Andrew Flintoff, Formula One
winner David Coulthard, world boxing champion Amir Khan,
Olympic rowing legend Steve Redgrave, and supermodel Jessica
Michibata. PTI ATK

2010 CWG will have no security problems: boxer Amir

Abu Dhabi, Mar 10 (PTI) British boxer Amir Khan today
said that security concerns in the 2010 Commonwealth Games was
the product of media hype and the mega event in India will be
a huge success.
"I think this security scare is more media hype. I was in
Pakistan for three days and everything was so chilled out,
there was no problem. I am sure when India hosts the
Commonwealth Games, the security will be tight," Amir said
here at the Laureus World Sports Awards here.
"I think Commonwealth Games is the second most important
event, the first being the Olympics. It is massive tournament
I always wanted to participate in the Commonwealth Games,"
said Amir, who won a silver in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Amir said the World Boxing Series was a brilliant concept
and it would give the amateur boxers to show their potential.
"The amateur boxers would get a chance to have more
fights against the best and prove who is the best among the
amateurs," he said.
Asked if given a chance he would like to participate in
the series, Amir said, "If I had a chance I would like to
participate in the world series of boxing in India."
"After Athens Olympics, I decided to turn professional.
Beijing Olympics was still four years to go then and I took
this huge decision to turn professional as it gave me
financial stability also and it had a massive affect on my
career." PTI ATK PDS

World Cup toughest challenge of life: Capello

Abu Dhabi, Mar 10 (PTI) England is hungrier than any
other country and it would be the toughest challenge of his
life to take the side in the football World Cup finals in
South Africa in June-July, feels manager Fabio Capello.
England have been drawn along with the USA, Algeria and
Slovenia in Group C at the finals starting on June 11 and
Capello has set a semifinal target for the team.
"All teams are hungry to win the World Cup but England is
hungrier than anybody. It has been a challenge to be the
manager of the England team but I like the challenge and I
think taking the team to the World Cup finals will be the
toughest challenge of my life," Capello told reporters at the
Laureus World Sports Awards here.
"I try to win always and our focus would be to beat the
best teams and reach the semifinals atleast. We have some good
players, we believe we are at the same level as other teams
and we can beat them," he added.
The Italian considered star striker Wayne Rooney as one
of the best footballers in the world, at par with Argentine
striker Lionel Messi and Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo.
"Messi and Rooney are among best footballers. Messi is
fast and imaginative, while Rooney is strong. I feel Rooney,
Messi and Ronaldo are current best players," he said.
With the World Cup being hosted in South Africa for the
first time, Capello feels one of the African teams can spring
a surprise in the quadrennial event.
"I think one of the African teams like Ghana, Ivory Coast
and Nigeria will create something surprising." PTI ATK PDS

Bans are a bit harsh for poor performance: Pollock

Abu Dhabi, Mar 10 (PTI) Former South African skipper
Shaun Pollock today said if poor performance was criteria for
handing out bans to Pakistani cricketers then the punishment
is a "bit harsh".
The PCB today invoked indefinite bans on Mohammed Yousuf
and Younus Khan and also imposed one-year bans on Shoaib Malik
and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan on the recommendations of the inquiry
committee which probed their flop show Down Under.
The Akmal brothers — Kamran and Umar — and Shahid Afridi
were put under observation and imposed heavy fines.
"I don't know. If that's the reason that they lost in
Australia so they are banned then its a bit too harsh. Elevens
players make a team and they all have to perform. I don't know
what the review system is but its not easy to comment when you
don't know the truth is," said a shocked Pollock, when
informed about the ban.
Talking about his IPL side Mumbai Indians, Pollock said
Sachin Tendulkar's show with the bat would be crucial to their
fortunes in the Twenty20 tournament, beginning Friday.
"I think Mumbai will need him to play well. Here is a guy
so great so you would obviously want him to bat 20 overs and
steers the ship through. If he can get some scores he can get
the team to some wins in some matches," said the former
all-rounder.
Pollock, who is here as an academy member for the Laureus
Sport Award, also feels that Umpire referral system requires
some fine-tuning to give better results.
"Certain things needs to be adjusted. We all want right
decisions to be made so we have to ensure that the technology
we use can get all in perfect place.
"Tennis have implemented it and there is no discussion on
that. When something new is implemented it is difficult to
change people but one year down the lane if you can get
everything in line, it is good technology and can help the
game," he said.
Pollock said the South African team has the firepower to
excel and dominate world cricket in the next two years.
"I don't watch as much cricket as I used to as I have
some other focuses but it is really nice to see the guys doing
well. The team have moved on in the last 10 years. They have
the team to dominate in the next two years. It would be good
time for South Africa in future," he said. PTI ATK AT

Do not give in to terrorism, tour India: Former star players

Abu Dhabi, Mar 10 (PTI) Legendary cricketers like Steve
Waugh and Ian Botham today adjured the athletes worldwide to
not let terrorism affect sport anywhere in the world including
India, which is set to host extremely popular IPL and
Commonwealth Games later this year.
Waugh said the terror attack on Sri Lakan cricket team in
Pakistan last year has changed the safety perception of the
players but was of the view that players should not surrender
to terrorism by skipping sport events.
"Sportspersons are more concerned now a days. Earlier
they used to feel they are safe but in the last couple of
years that perception have changed because of the way the Sri
Lankan players were attacked in Pakistan.
"The entire landscape has changed but as sportspersons,
we shouldn't give in to the terrorism and must travel to play
the game," said the two-time World Cup winning captain.
Ian Botham, former England all-rounder, also echoed
similar views at a discussion on cricket as a part of the
Laureus Sport Awards at the Emirates Palace here.
"We got to take a stand. We have so many tournaments
lined up. In India we have IPL, Commonwealth Games. In South
Africa we have the Soccer World Cup then there is the world
cup Twenty20 in the West Indies and the 50-50 World Cup in the
sub-continent and Olympics in London in 2012.
"We just can't allow one phone call before the events to
disrupt the tournaments. We shouldn't surrender to terrorism.
My suggestions will be to go and enjoy the game," Botham said.
There are some apprehensions among players about
travelling to India but India's World Cup winning captain
Kapil exuded confidence that the Indian government will do
whatever it takes to ensure safety of the athletes.
"We can't really run away. One has to think positive and
I hope that the world would become a safe place. I am proud
that the IPL is in India and I am sure the Indian government
will make sure that everything goes on well. Mishaps can
happen anywhere so I think if world is safe than India is
safe," Kapil said.
Former South African skipper Shaun Pollock also supported
Kapil's view and was in favour of organising Indian Premier
league in India alone.
"The South African team went to India recently but it was
one team. In IPL, it is 10 teams traveling at 10 different
venues, so it is difficult but IPL has to be in India
otherwise the Indian fans will lose out. I'm sure the Indian
government will make the necessary arrangements," Pollock
said. PTI ATK AT

Bradman is the greatest, Sachin comes only second: Waugh

Amit Kumar Das
Abu Dhabi, Mar 10 (PTI) Sachin Tendulkar can come only
second behind legendary Don Bradman in the list of all-time
greatest cricketers, feels former Australia captain Steve
Waugh.
"Don Bradman is the greatest, there is no debate. Don is
the number one and then come the rest. And among the rest,
Tendulkar probably is as good as anyone. So legitimately he
may be the second best cricketer to have played the game,"
Waugh said.
"But then people will say the same for Gary Sobers and W
G Grace too. So its difficult to say," added Waugh, who is
here as a member of the Laureus Sports Academy.
Waugh also said it was dangerous to see Test cricket
losing out quality fast bowlers to Twenty20 format.
"It is dangerous for Test cricket that we are losing the
quicks. It is a Twenty20 influence. Fast bowlers definitely
have a lot of stress and doing this is very demanding.
"I think they realise that they have few years of cricket
in them. They get three times more money by bowling one-tenth
overs in T20. So we had (Andrew) Flintoff, Brett (Lee) and
(Shane) Bond deciding not to play Test which is a shame," he
said.
Two-time World Cup winning captain Waugh said India and
Australia will start the favourites in the ODI World Cup next
year, which will be held in Indian sub-continent.
"Australia have very good record. India is also very hard
to beat in India. So they will be the favourites.
"Then there is also New Zealand. I think, there are
probably five teams capable of winning the World Cup but India
and Australia will be the favourites," he said.
Asked whether Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men were capable of
retaining their number one Test team tag for long, Waugh said:
"I don't think anyone will hold the number one ranking (for
long) because we have three formats of the game.
"With niggling injuries and so many tours, it is very
difficult to be consistent. May be they can hold on to Test
ranking but it is very difficult to dominate all the formats
of the game."
Waugh also has apprehension about the Decision Referral
System and thinks still there is place for improvement.
"I'm at times very confused about it. I was initially
against it but later I read about it and saw decisions going
right but for the last 12 months some of the decisions didn't
seem right, which showed the technology is not completely
full-proof yet," he said.
"The technology have to be better than what it is now or
may be it could go back to the umpires. They could ask for 2-3
referrals rather than the players.
"But then some will argue that we don't have enough good
umpires to ask for a referral all times. So we have to get the
umpires to the standard of Simon Taufel, who is very
confident," Waugh said.
Another incident which has grabbed the attention of Waugh
is the rise of Afghanistan who has qualified for this year's
Twenty20 World Cup to be held in the West Indies.
"It is a great sporting story. It is a potential movie.
It is a fairy tale, the story of the year. Players learning
cricket in the refugee camps and doing so well. I think with
the T20 World Cup coming up, this will be one of the future
stories of the event," he said. PTI ATK DB

Abu Dhabi to host Laureus World Sports Award tomorrow

Amit Kumar Das
Abu Dhabi, Mar 9 (PTI) Sports stars from around the globe
will converge at the Emirates Palace here when the capital
hosts the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony tomorrow
to recognise the sporting achievements of the year passed by.
It will be a glittering function comprising the who's who
of world sports, including influential figures from athletics,
football, equestrian, snooker and cycling among other
disciplines.
India's cricket World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev will
represent the country as a member of the Laureus Academy which
also has other cricketers in Steve Waugh, Shaun Pollock, Ian
Botham and Brain Lara.
The Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award has Olympic
gold medallist Usain Bolt, 16 grand slam winner Roger Federer
and 2009 FIFA player of the year Lionel Messi as some of the
nominees.
Also featuring in the list are Ethiopian athlete Kenenisa
Bekele, Spaniard cyclist Alberto Contador and the MotoGP world
champion Valentino Rossi of Italy.
However, with most of the nominees still uncertain for
tomorrow's gala evening, the prestigious award function is
likely to lose some sheen.
While Bolts and Federer are likely to miss out, Hollywood
stars will illuminate the evening with Oscar-winning actor
Kevin Spacey leading the peck as he gets ready to host the
show.
The Usual Suspects and American Beauty star will be
joined by many others, including hugely popular British film
stars Hugh Grant and Clive Owen.
Among the special guests at the Awards, will be American
actors Kyle MacLachlan, star of Desperate Housewives, and
Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Trudy Chacon in Avatar and was
Ana Lucia Cortez in the TV series Lost.
Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates,
offers a fascinating combination of the old and new against a
backdrop of the most modern world-class infrastructure, which
has catapulted the capital as one of the most favoured
sporting destinations.
Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Golf
Championships are now highlights of the sporting calendar in
the city and the Laureus World Sports Awards to be staged here
is just the right icing on the cake.
"Sports in the Gulf region is huge. We have the biggest
turnout in terms of names and sports. Holding the Awards here
in Abu Dhabi gives a boost to the UAE and the entire Gulf
region. We want to inspire the youth in this region and the
athletes," said Edwin Moses, chairman of the Laureus Academy.
"We have 30 Academy members here which is the second
widest turnout ever. We had an annual get together dinner last
night with all the Academy members, family and friends. But
starting tonight, we will get things rolling. We meet twice a
year. But we hadn't met in 18 months. So, it was nice to get
together last night.
"We are glad and proud to be here. I thank the Abu Dhabi
Sports Council (ADSC) for a fantastic event," he added.
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SPORT LAUREUS 3
Moses said Laureus has always been an initiative that
wants to bring change through sports.
"We want to use sports as a tool for change. There has
been tremendous change in the last three years. Starting with
six projects, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation supports
almost 80 projects worldwide. We have 46 Academy members now.
We started with 28," he said.
ADSC Mohammed Ibrahim Al Mahmood hoped that hosting this
award function will inspire the other athletes of the country
and someone from the native land someday will win the award.
"We are glad to have this international sports event in
Abu Dhabi. It is very important to us. We want to encourage
young people and make them achieve big things in sport. We in
Abu Dhabi will work hard to encourage young people to take up
sport. We hope that someday, an Emirati will achieve this
award," he said.
Full list of Nominees for the 2010 Laureus World Sports
Awards:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Kenenisa Bekele
(Ethiopia, Athletics), Usain Bolt (Jamaica, Athletics),
Alberto Contador (Spain, Cycling), Roger Federer (Switzerland,
Tennis), Lionel Messi (Argentina, Football), Valentino Rossi
(Italy, Motor Cycling).
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Shelly-Ann Fraser
(Jamaica, Athletics), Federica Pellegrini (Italy, Swimming),
Sanya Richards (US, Athletics), Britta Steffen (Germany,
Swimming), Lindsey Vonn (US, Skiing), Serena Williams (US,
Tennis).
Laureus World Team of the Year: FC Barcelona (Spain,
Football), Brawn GP Formula One Team (UK), Germany Women's
Football Team, Los Angeles Lakers (US, Basketball), New York
Yankees (US, Baseball), South Africa Rugby Team.
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Jenson Button
(UK, Motor Racing), Mark Cavendish (UK, Cycling), Tom Daley
(UK, Diving), Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina, Tennis), Ji
Yai Shin (South Korea, Golf), VFL Wolfsburg (Germany,
Football).
Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Lance Armstrong (US,
Cycling), Kim Clijsters (Belgium, Tennis), Jessica Ennis (UK,
Athletics), Brett Favre (US, American Football), Blanka Vlasic
(Croatia, Athletics), Tom Watson (US, Golf).
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with Disability:
Justin Eveson (Australia, Wheelchair Basketball), Kurt
Fearnley (Australia, Wheelchair Racing), Gizen Girismen
(Turkey, Para-Archery), Shingo Kunieda (Japan, Wheelchair
Tennis), Michael Teuber (Germany, Cycling), Natalie du Toit
(S.Africa, Swimming).
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Antoine
Albeau (France, Windsurfing), Chris Cole (US, Skateboarding),
Mick Fanning (Australia, Surfing), Stephanie Gilmore
(Australia, Surfing), Greg Long (US, Surfing), Danny MacAskill
(UK, Trials Bikes). PTI ATK DB

Motivation would be key for Schumacher: Fittipaldi

Abu Dhabi, Mar 9 (PTI) Two time Formula One World
Championship winner Emerson Fittipaldi today said a burning
desire to excel would be a pre-requisite for legendary racer
Michael Schumacher to taste success again.
Schumacher, who is coming out of retirement, would be
back behind the wheels in the season opening Bahrain Grand
Prix on Sunday.
Fittipaldi believes the German legend has in him to beat
the younger drivers and also cited his own example to explain
that age was no bar to win in F1 competition.
"If he can motivate himself to win and keep fit then yes
he can. I know a lot of younger drivers who can't compete with
him when it comes to motivation," Fittipaldi, who won the
World Championship in 1972 and 1974, said.
"The last race I won, I was 49 and in the second place
was a 21-year old. So if he can keep his desire burning, he
can beat the younger drivers," said 1970 United States Grand
Prix winner.
Fittipaldi said Schumacher will take sometime to get into
the groove.
"Once he gets into the rhythm, he will be extremely
competitive. But since motor sports is a team work and a lot
depends on the technical issues and equipments, I think he
will take 2-3 grand prix events to get used to the traffic."
Seven-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion Schumacher
retired in 2006. He almost made a comeback in 2009 when Felipe
Massa suffered a crash but a neck injury spurned that plan.
However, he came out of retirement in December, 2009 and
signed with the Mercedes team. PTI ATK AT

Tiger facing biggest challenge of a comeback in life: Becker

Abu Dhabi, Mar 9 (PTI) Support continued to pour in for
Tiger woods with tennis star Boris Becker and Olympic sprinter
Edwin Moses today saying that the disgraced golfer is now
facing the biggest challenge in his life of making a comeback.
During a discussion on who should be the Laureus best
sportsperson of the decade, six-time Grand Slam singles
champion Becker said that Tiger is in that list for his
golfing achievements and not for his private life antics.
"He (Tiger) is one of the most famous sportspersons and
people want to know what happened behind the scene. We have
heard stories which we didn't expect but it should not matter.
I think the next big challenge for him would be to make a
comeback," Becker said.
"True champions has to comeback from difficult situation,
Tiger has shown that in the golf course but I think this will
be the biggest challenge for him to make a comeback this
time," he said.
Olympic gold medallist Moses of USA also echoed his view.
"In life different things happen to people but if you see
from the performance point of view, the way Tiger has
contributed in golf, it shows how important he is," Moses
said. PTI ATK DB

Aus should trust India's security arrangements for CWG: Cathy

Amit Kumar Das
Abu Dhabi, Mar 9 (PTI) Olympic gold medallist sprinter
Cathy Freeman today called on her fellow Australian athletes
to trust the security arrangements made by the Indian
government and travel to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games in
October.
The Olympics champion for 400m in the 2000 Sydney Games,
Cathy, who is here for the Laureus world sports award as a
member, said trusting the Indian officials will also help
participants to concentrate more on their sports.
"Trust the policy maker, experts, officials (of the
Commonwealth Games). As athletes they have to trust so that
they can focus on their sport," Cathy said, when asked what
would be her message to the Australian team which will travel
to India for the quadrennial event to be held from October
3-14.
Asked about the assaults on Indian community Down Under,
Cathy said, "It concerns me but it is not only specific to
India but any people. It is definitely an issue which is at
the heart of people's consciousness and awareness in
Australia."
"I know what it feels to lose someone but I can assure
you Australians generally are fair and good people. We will do
what we need to do to ensure that everybody is safe," she
added.
The four-time Commonwealth games gold medallist also felt
that athletes all over the world should abide by the where
about clause of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
"I trusted the system, the rules. I became adaptable. I
didn't feel that it intruded into my personal life and I was
happy to cooperate on the issues that mattered. It was also
important for my conscious," she said.
Cathy praised Olympics gold medallist sprinter Usain Bolt
for his huge contribution towards making the sport clean and
fair, especially after being maligned by dope cases.
"He (Usain) is amazing, extraordinary, a character. He
seems to be a real delight. He has reignited people's faith
and imagination. There was a time when the biggest fear for me
was that everybody will assume that Olympics champions were
druggist but Usain proved a point against that. He is a
phenomenal sprinter."
Cathy, who won the Laureus award in 2001, said her
experiences in life contributed towards taking an important
decision to get associated with Laureus family as a academy
members for the first time.
"When you feel pain, it doesn't have any other way but to
face it and so you have to sort out what is meaningful to you
and so I am here now. They are community oriented, willing to
get their hands dirty to help people, talk about tough issues
like, criminal activities, under-privileged and poor
communities," said Cathy, who lost her brother Norman in a
motor-cycle crash in 2008. PTI ATK SHN