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

Saina, Jwala-Diju make it a year to remember for badminton

Amit Kumar Das
New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Saina Nehwal broke the Chinese
stranglehold, while the mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and
V Diju cracked the top-10 chart as Indian badminton rose in
stature in a reasonably successful 2009.
After a highly promising last year where she won the
Chinese Taipei title, Saina proved once again why she is the
brightest star in Indian badminton as she went a step ahead
this year.
The Hyderabadi became the first Indian to win a Super
series title when she clinched the Indonesian Open in June.
The hard work of the past two years paid off and the
shuttler was conferred the coveted Arjuna Award in August,
where her mentor Pullela Gopichand received the Dronacharya
Award.
If Saina broke the Chinese dominance this year, Jwala and
Diju made India a force to reckon with in mixed doubles.
The duo became the first Indian pair to reach the
quarterfinals of the World championship in Hyderabad but it
was the victory at Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold in August
which was the highlight of a dream year as it catapulted them
to the top-10 bracket.
The year 2009 also saw Arvind Bhat break the title jinx
at the National championship after four abortive finals, when
he beat P Kashyap in the summit clash in Indore.
Saina, the first Indian shuttler to make the Olympic
quarterfinals in Beijing last year, continued her
giant-killing run this year too as the Indian taught a thing
or two to the Chinese in their own game.
The 19-year-old made a steady start to the season and
reached the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Super Series, Swiss
Open and India Open in Hyderabad in March and also helped
India reach Group 2 of the Sudirman Cup in May.
The Singapore Open in June again saw the Indian ace reach
the last eight where she lost to Wang Lin but a gritty Saina
avenged her loss in Indonesia by beating the Chinese in the
finals to clinch her maiden super series title.
She also reached the quarters of Malaysian Open but a
bout of mild chicken pox just two weeks before the World
Championship threatened her chances of participating in the
tournament which was being held in India for the first time.
But she recovered in time to not only take part in the
event but also become the first Indian woman to reach the
quarterfinals where she lost to old rival Wang Lin.
However, a miscommunication between the Indian officials
and the Badminton World Federation regarding sending of
entries saw Saina miss the China Masters, which was just
after the World Championships.
When she eventually returned to the circuit, the Indian
made it to the quarters of back-to-back super series events in
Denmark and French to reach a career-best ranking of world
number six in October.
With the year nearing end, Saina participated in the
World Super Series Masters Final and reached the semifinals of
the prestigious event, an encore of her performance last year.
As Saina cemented her place in the top league in singles,
the seven-time national doubles champion Jwala Gutta and her
partner V Diju made quite a splash in mixed doubles.
For Jwala and Diju, it was a year in which they moved
from strength to strength and consolidated their position on
the global map.
The duo created a flutter when they made it to the finals
of the Indian Open in Hyderabad in March and signed off the
year on a high reaching the finals of the season-ending World
Super Series Masters Finals.
The men's doubles pair of Rupesh Kumar and Sanave Thomas
also notched up up some impressive triumphs in the
international arena when the duo clinched the New Zealand
Grand Prix in July and the Bitburger Open in October.
They also reached the finals of the Australian Open Grand
Prix in July.
On the downside, this year proved to be a low key one for
the men's singles players like Chetan Anand and Arvind Bhat as
none of them could win any international tournaments, only
managing odd quarterfinal appearances.
P Kashyap, though, had something to sheer about as he
managed to finish runners-up in the Spanish Open and Open
Volant d'Or in May but his form too dipped after that.
The most disappointing of all was India's number one
shuttler Chetan for whom it was a forgettable year as fitness
and poor form kept haunting him all through. It wasn't any
better for Arvind either.
Apart from winning his maiden national title this year,
Arvind had nothing much to show and the only bright moment for
him was reaching a career-best 21st after making the quarters
of Macau Open.
Olympian Anup Sridhar also struggled with injuries and
fitness issues and his only high point was beating the then
world number two Peter Gade of Denmark to reach the quarters
of Singapore Super Series.
Although the men disappointed, overall the year turned
out to be a good one for India as it consolidated its position
at the world stage and with the country hosting the
Commonwealth Games next year, it would be another opportunity
for the shuttlers to shine bright next year too.

Syed Modi International Grand Prix

Saina, Chetan in quarters; Arvind crashes out of Syed Modi
Amit Kumar Das
Lucknow, Dec 17 (PTI) Saina Nehwal and Chetan Anand
advanced to the quarterfinals but Arvind Bhat crashed out
after a stunning third-round defeat in the Syed Modi
International Grand Prix badminton tournament here today.
Top seed Saina crushed Chitralekha 21-9 21-7 to set up a
clash with fifth seed Indonesian Fransiska Ratnasari, while
Chetan struggled past Indonesian Adnan Fauzi 21-11 20-22
21-17.
The men's top seed will take on compatriot Anup Sridhar
in the quarterfinals tomorrow. Sixth seeded Sridhar spanked
Eshan Naqvi 21-14 21-11 in another match.
However, the biggest upset of the day was the shocking
21-15 19-21 14-21 defeat of Arvind at the hands of Malaysian
Kwong Beng Chan in an hour long match.
In a match that had 111 rallies, Arvind squandered a
first game lead and then found the going tough against the
Malaysian, who held nerve at crucial junctures to emerge as
victorious.
In the first game, the Malaysian opened up a 10-4 lead
but a gutsy Arvind pocketed 14 points on the stretch to lead
18-10 before pocketing the game.
But in the second game, the Indian committed some
unforced errors to allow the Malaysian to take a 10-5 lead.
Arvind tried to come back and made it 19-20 before Chan
wrapped it up to draw level.
In the decider, Chan again zoomed to a 10-3 lead and
although Arvind tried to come back, making it 14-18, it was
all over soon.
Among other Indians in fray, fourth seed P Kashyap
struggled past German Dieter Domke 21-12 19-21 21-17 and
eighth seed RMV Gurusaidatt pipped Ajay Jayaram 16-21 21-8
21-12 in 42 minutes to reach the quarterfinals.
Sai Praneet B also made it the final eight when Nikhil
Kanetkar retired midway with the former leading 6-2.
In women's singles, Sikki Reddy beat third seed Maja
Tvrdy 21-16 21-14, qualifier PV Sindhu beat compatriot Mohita
Sahdev 21-12 21-14. Seventh seed Trupti Murgunde rallied to
pip Japanese Hirayama Yu 17-21 21-18 23-21, while Aditi
Mutatkar prevailed over fourth seed Neha Pandit 21-16 21-18.
However, it was all over for Dhanya Nair, who went down
to second seed Indonesian Maria Febe Kusumastuti 21-12 21-6.
In the men's doubles, top seed Akdhay Dewalkar and Jishnu
Sanyal beat compatriots Davinder Dhillon and Hemant Duggal
21-4 21-18 and Sanave Thomas and V Diju defeated Venkat Gaurav
and Manish Gupta 21-13 21-14 Second seed Tarun Kona and Arun
Vishnu got the better of Sai Praneet B and Pranav Chopra 18-21
21-11 21-18 to reach the quarterfinals.
Among the women, top seeds Aparna Balan and Shruti Kurian
also reached the quarters after beating Chitralekha and Parssa
Naqvi 21-12 21-19 in the women's doubles category.

...................................................

Didn't handle injuries properly: Sridhar
Lucknow, Dec 17 (PTI) Fitness problems have marred his
international career in the past couple of years and Indian
shuttler Anup Sridhar today said he paid the price for not
dealing with his injuries properly.
"I didn't deal with my injuries properly and paid the
price. I made hasty recoveries and played too many tournaments
this year," Anup, who slipped from 24 in early 2008 to 39th in
the current international rankings, told PTI.
"I committed too many mistakes but now I have learnt my
lessons and I would schedule my tournaments well next season,"
he added.
Asked what would be his schedule next year, Anup said
after the national championship, he would take a long break
before playing any tournament.
"Next year, I am starting with the nationals but after
that I would take a six weeks break and then depending upon
how I feel, I will decide which tournaments to play," he said.
Anup, who represented India in the Beijing Olympics, is
also in the list of probables for the 2010 Commonwealth Games
but the Bangalorean said the event is too far away right now.
"I am far from qualifying for the Commonwealth Games
right now. But things can change within three-four months. So
I am not thinking anything now. Now the priority is to
concentrate on my fitness and take things as it comes.
"Of course, if I can make it to the team, I will give my
best to win a medal," said Anup, who married two weeks ago.

...............

Saina, Chetan in semifinals
Amit Kumar Das
Lucknow, Dec 18 (PTI) Top seeds Saina Nehwal and Chetan
Anand advanced to the semifinals while RMV Gurudsaidutt
shocked higher ranked Indonesian Andre Kurniawan Tedjono in
straight games to reach the final four in the Syed Modi
International Grand Prix badminton tournament here today.
World number eight Saina survived a scare to pip fifth
seed Fransiska Ratnasari of Indonesia 11-21 21-4 21-19 in a
54-minute battle and set up a semifinal clash with sixth seed
Jeanine Cicognini of Switzerland, while Chetan beat sixth seed
compatriot Anup Sridhar 21-18 21-10 in just 29 minutes.
In a see-saw battle, Gurusaidutt held his nerve in
crucial moments to beat Andre 21-18 21-16 in a 42 minutes to
reach the semifinals, where he will meet Chetan tomorrow.
Fourth seed Aditi Mutatkar also made merry notching up a
21-12 21-14 win over compatriot seventh seed Trupti Murgunde
in 24 minutes in the women's singles.
However, it was end of road for Parupalli Kashyap, Sai
Praneet B, PV Sindhu and Sikki Reddy.
While fourth seed Kashyap went down fighting to fifth
seed Indonesian Dyonisius Hayom Rumbaka 24-22 19-21 21-12 in a
57-minute battle, Sai put up a spirited fight before losing to
Malaysian Kwong Beng Chan 13-21 20-22 in men's singles.
Promising shuttler Sindhu took a game away from her
fancied rival second seed Maria Febe Kusumastuti of Indonesia
before going down 21-15 4-21 11-21, while Sikki lost 20-22
18-21 to sixth seed Swiss Jeanine Cicognini.
Gurusaidutt started the proceeding for India and opened
up a 2-0 lead in the first game but Andre came back strongly
to go 7-4 up soon.
The Indian then pocketed three straight points to draw
parity at 8-all and then moved neck and neck till 17-17 before
breaking loose to seal the first game.
In the decider, the Indian was more ruthless as from 2-2,
he zoomed to a three point lead at 9-6 but the Indonesian soon
caught hold of him at 9-9 and 12-12. Gurusaidutt soon knocked
down five straight points to lead 17-12 and eventually sealed
the issue as Andre's game crumbled.
Saina too had a tough match as the Indian was a game
down but she held her nerves to tide over the Indonesian.
"I didn't expect the match to be so tough. I was losing
some shots as I was smashing from mid-court and I was finding
it easier to play from one side of the court but I pulled it
off in the end," she said after the match.
"Since I have played too many tournaments this year, my
fitness is also a little down but I have improved in my
strokes," she added.
Among others in fray, second seed Tarun Kona and Arun
Vishnu spanked compatriots Arun Nandaluri and Srujan Nandaluri
21-9 21-9, while top seed Akshay Dewalkar and Jishnu Sanyal
pipped fellow Indians Sanave Thomas and Diju Valiyaveetil
21-14 14-21 21-17 in the men's doubles.
In the women's doubles, however, it was curtains for top
seeds Aparna Balan and Shruti Kurian as they lost 15-21 21-8
12-21 to Indonesian pair of Nadya Melati and Devi Tika
Permatasari.

.......................................

Saina, Chetan reach finals of Syed Modi
Amit Kumar Das
Lucknow, Dec 19 (PTI) Top India shuttlers Saina Nehwal
and Chetan Anand did not break sweat and sailed into the
finals, but it was the resurgence of Aditi Mutatkar that was
the highlight of the day in the Syed Modi International
Grand Prix tournament here today.
World number eight Saina trounced sixth seeded
Switzerland's Jeanine Cicognini 21-12 21-10 in just 24
minutes, while 17th ranked Chetan came better off compatriot
RMV Gurusaidutt 21-16 21-13 in a battle that lasted 35
minutes.
Chetan will now take on fifth seeded Indonesian Dyonisius
Hayom Rumbaka in the final tomorrow.
But it was Aditi, who stole the show with her
power-packed performance, as the fourth seeded Indian saw off
second seeded Maria Febe Kusumastuti of Indonesia in a
33-minute clash.
Aditi, in a see-saw battle, cruised to a 5-2 lead and
kept her rival on the toes but the Indonesian slowly narrowed
the gap and drew level at 14-all and 20-all, before Aditi
grabbed two crucial point to seal the first game in her
favour.
The second game started on an aggressive note as the duo
moved neck and neck from 2-2 to 6-6 to take the lead, but with
Aditi in full flow, the Indonesian opponent's game crumbled as
she conceded five points to allow Aditi to zoom past with 13-7
lead. She then gave away four more points to Aditi on the trot
before the Indian eventually wrapped up the issue.
"This is my first final of the year and I am very happy.
After my injury early this year, I was going through a tough
phase and this win has given me a lot of confidence and
self-belief," Aditi told PTI after the match.
While Aditi had a tough battle, Saina had a walk in the
park as she thrashed the Switzerlander after involving in some
deft net play which left her rival without any clue.
"I expected the match to be easy and it was easy. Unlike
yesterday's match where I was stretched, I did not have any
problem today," Saina said.
Among other Indians in fray, third seeded mixed-doubles
pair of Shruti Kurian and Tarun Kona beat Indonesian duo of
Devi Tika Permatasari and Adnan Fauzi 21-18 19-21 21-16 in a
43-minute match to set up a clash with compatriots Aparna
Balan and Arun Vishnu, who beat fellow-mates Pradnya Gadre and
Akshay Dewalkar 18-21 22-20 22-20 in 40 minutes.
In men's doubles, second seeded Tarun Kona and Arun Vishnu
lost to Indonesian pair of Adnan Fauzi and Tri Kusumawardana
17-21 21-13 16-21, while top seeded Akshay Dewalkar and Jishnu
Sanyal defeated fourth seeded Alwin Francis and Shankar Gopan
19-21 21-8 21-18 in another match.
In women's doubles, Megha Marin Ninan and Prajakta Sawant
brushed aside the challenge of Indonesian pair Nadya Melati
and Devi Tika Permatasari 15-21 8-21.

.............................

Saina is a breath of fresh air in badminton: Taufik
Lucknow, Dec 19 (PTI) Ace India shuttler Saina Nehwal is
like a breath of fresh air in a sport dominated by the Chinese
and with national coach Pullela Gopichand around she is in
safe hands, feels ace Indonesian shuttler Taufik Hidayat.
Taufik feels with Saina and Chetan Anand leading the
charge, Indian shuttlers have a great future ahead.
"With Saina and Chetan playing well, India can be a force
to reckon with in badminton in future.
"Saina is like a breath of fresh air in women's singles
which has been dominated by the Chinese and coach Gopichand
has been a great guide for her. I feel with Gopichand around,
Saina will get the best tips and guidance which will help her
perform and prolong her life in the court," Taufik said.
Taufik, who considers his 2004 Summer Olympics gold medal
as his best, said currently the Chinese are dominating the
game globally as they have the best regeneration process.
"The Chinese are way ahead in badminton at the moment.
Their domination and team strength is great as they have great
bench strength. They keep producing players one after another,
so they have the best second and third line players," he said.
The champion Indonesian shuttler had a very good season
and he feels turning professional early in the year has helped
his performance.
"Going professional early this year has helped me to
focus more and have given me the freedom, which was missing
when I was with the national team. Now I can choose which
tournament to play and the freedom has been reflected in my
performance," Taufik said.
The six-time Indonesian Super Series champion won the
Indian Open, US Open and Macau Open this year.
Asked about his rivalry with three-time world champion
Lin Dan of China, Taufik said, "Currently he is the best. Dan
is in his golden age as I was when I was 24-24. His all round
capability, speed, stamina are unparellel."
Taufik, who was here to play an exhibition match for
Yonex in Syed Modi International Grand Prix tournament, said
unlike this year he would like to take part in the tournament
next time around.
"The facilities and the court are really good out here
and I would like to come here next year as a player and
participate. Lets see how things pan out," he said.
Asked about his favourite player, the 2005 World Champion
said his first coach Iie Sumirat remains his icon.
"My coach Sumirat remains my favourite. He used to teach
me when I was young. He belonged to the 1970s era," said
Taufik, who won the Asian Games twice.

.....................................

Saina, chetan win singles titles in Syed Modi GP tourney
Amit Kumar Das
Lucknow, Dec 20 (PTI) Saina Nehwal and Chetan Anand
clinched the singles titles of the USD 50,000 Jaypee Cup Syed
Modi International Grand Prix badminton tournament to end the
season on a high note, here today.
India's domination was quite evident as apart from the
women's singles and men's singles titles, the hosts also won
the mixed doubles crown and its men's doubles team also made
the summit clash at the Babu Banarasi Das UPBA Academy here.
World number eight Saina scored a convincing 21-17, 21-13
win over fourth seed compatriot Aditi Mutatkar in the women's
singles summit clash.
"This is my biggest win as I have won it in India. I was
in desperate need of this win as I didn't have a very good
second half because of fever. So I am really happy to win it
here," Saina said after the match.
World number 17 Chetan overcame a second-game lapse to
beat fifth seed Indonesian Dyonisius Hayom Rumbaka 21-17,
19-21, 21-16 in the men's singles final.
Both the winners earned USD 3,750 each as prize money.
Second seeds Aparna Balan and Arun Vishnu also notched up
their second title of the year when they pipped fellow Indian
third seeds Shruti Kurian and Tarun Kona 21-14, 17-21, 21-19
in a gruelling mixed doubles final.
However, it was a disappointing day for the men's doubles
pair of Akdhay Dewalkar and Jisnhu Sanyal, who lost the
thrilling final 25-27, 25-23, 15-21 to Indonesian pair of
Adnan Fauzi and Tri Kusumawardana.
In the women's doubles final, third seeded Japanese pair
of Misaki Matusutomo and Akaya Tekahashi defeated Indonesian
duo Nadya Melati Devi Tika Permatasari 21-14, 15-21 21-15.
In the all Indian women's singles final, Saina used her
wide range of strokes and deft net play to see off Aditi, who
was a bit off-colour today.
The Hyderabadi quickly opened up a 6-1 lead and although
Aditi narrowed the gap a number of times from 6-7 to 17-18,
Saina had the last laugh as she sealed the first game.
Aditi employed a defensive approach and tried to tire out
Saina but her ploy didn't work as Saina mixed attack with
defense.
In the second game, Aditi changed her racquet but still
couldn't change the course of the game and conceded three
points first to allow Saina zoom to 3-0. Soon the world number
eight widened the gap and Aditi's game crumbled.

..................................

My wins have changed world's perception towards India: Saina
Amit Kumar Das
Lucknow, Dec 20 (PTI) She broke the Chinese stranglehold
in badminton with her successes and Saina Nehwal feels her
feat has not only changed the perception of world towards
India but also inspired other shuttlers globally to challenge
China in their own game.
"I never take my opponents as Chinese or Indonesian. But
I feel with me winning more against them, the perception of
the Chinese and the whole world towards India has changed,"
Saina told PTI.
"It has also given other countries the confidence that we
can also beat the Chinese. So it is not only about India but
it has also inspired other countries to beat the Chinese in
their game," she added.
World number eight Saina said while this year she went a
step ahead with her Indonesian Super Series win, it was the
Beijing Olympics quarterfinal appearance that really imbibed
confidence and self belief in her.
"The year was very good. I won the Indonesian Super
Series, something which I still don't believe because I had
never thought I could win it so early in my career. And its
not about just this win, I had a number of quarterfinal and
semifinal appearances," she said.
"But it was the Olympics performance which gave me lot of
confidence to beat top players. The Chinese Taipei win helped
me a lot in world juniors.
"This year I have improved lot on my strokes. If last
year was more of running, this year I have improved on my
strokes, movement and also in my defence. So, I feel I have
gained a lot overall as a player," Saina said.
Asked if there is any grey area which is a matter of
concern for her, Saina said, "I am an attacking player but I
feel I still have to improve on my defence and strokes. I know
my smashes are good but I still have to improve, I have to
keep improving always. To win at international level I have to
improve on my stamina and strokes."
The 20-year-old Hyderabadi said with three major events
in Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Championships
round the corner, next year she will cut down on her Super
Series appearances to prepare for the tournaments.
"Next year's challenges will be the Commonwealth Games,
Asian Games and the World Championships. I am really looking
forward to these three events. I am not thinking much about
ranking.
"I will skip a lot of tournaments next year. I will be
skipping a lot of Super Series tournaments as my focus will be
to do well in these three tournaments," Saina said.
Asked about her expectations from the October 3-14 slated
Delhi Games, Saina promised to give her best in the megaevent.
"I don't want to tell what I have in my mind right now. I
just want to give my best. Everybody is playing well, even the
Malaysians are playing well. I can't say that I am going to
win but I can say I will give my best shot," she said.

...............................................

Onus on youngsters to make India badminton powerhouse: Saina
Lucknow, Dec 20 (PTI) Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal feels
India has got facilities as good as anywhere in the world and
it is upto the youngsters to make use of them and perform in
international tournaments for the country to become a
badminton powerhouse in the next seven years.
"It will take time for an Indian to win a super series
again and so the onus is on the young players like Sikki
(Reddy), (PV) Sindhu and others to train hard and perform
internationally. That can take India to the top league within
the next 6-7 years," Saina told reporters here today.
"The facilities in India are quite good now. The
facilities at Lucknow, Hyderabad and Pune are very good and so
now it's the responsibility of the junior players to carry on
the good work," she said after beating Aditi Mutatkar to win
the Syed Modi International Grand Prix singles title here.
Saina said she was in desperate need of this title and
was a little tense because she was facing an Indian in the
final.
"This is my biggest win as I have won it in India. I was
in desperate need of this win as I didn't have a very good
second half of the year because of health problems. So I am
really happy to win here," said Saina who won Indonesian super
series in June.
"There is always a tension and pressure when you play an
Indian. I have played her at least 10 times, so I was 60 per
cent confident of winning. Aditi is a good rally player but
she was defensive today," she said.

Saina regains fitness, eyes Japan Open

NEW DELHI: Gearing up for her return after a month-long break, ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal said she has regained full fitness and would be at
the top of her game during next week's Japan Open Super Series.

Saina was down with chicken pox weeks before the World Badminton Championship last month but the Hyderabadi battled on to become the first Indian to reach the quarterfinal of the blue-ribbon event.

Having regained her full fitness, the world number seven will now return to the court next week in the Japan Open Super Series starting September 22 and the 19-year-old said she is ready for the challenge.

"I needed a break to be on top of my game and fitness after chicken pox. So, this break has helped refresh me," Saina said.

"It is a tough draw. I am in the second half and there are players like Pi Hongyan, Tine Russmussen. So, it is difficult but I am not bothered. At the moment, it's just the first match and I am well prepared for the challenge."

Saina will open her campaign against world number 10 Chinese Yanjiao Jiang and Beijing Olympics quarter-finalist said it wouldn't be an easy match.

"I am playing the world number 10 and I have played her twice and the last time was in the Asian Championship. I lost in three sets. But I am prepared this time and will give her a good fight," she said.

Saina couldn't participate in the ongoing China Masters after missing the deadline for sending the entries which resulted in a mild slump in her world rankings but the Indonesian Super Series winner said she is not thinking about her rankings right now.

"I know I couldn't play the China Open and my rankings went down because of that. It is a concern but I am not thinking about rankings," she said.

Saina needs to be within the top-eight bracket to qualify for the all-important World Super Series Masters final in December and the Indian said she was confident of making the cut.

"The World Super Series Masters is too far away at the moment. After the Japan Open, I am playing four Super Series this year -- Denmark, France, Hong Kong and China and I know if can win the Indonesian Open, I can win these Super Series too, which will again raise my rankings," she said.

Asked if she would be jittery when she takes the court after remaining out of action for a month, Saina conceded she might have to tackle a bit of nervousness initially.

"After a break you tend to get a little jittery and nervous at the start but after two points things come back to normal. So it’s ok. I think I have played enough international tournaments to deal with it and it is not a problem," she said.

Taipei title is history now, focused on Japan Open: Jwala

Not the one to bask in past glory, ace Indian doubles player Jwala Gutta has already forgotten her Chinese Taipei win and is gearing up for the Japan Open that gets underway next week.


Jwala and V Diju are the world number seven mixed doubles pair and the duo won the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold last month but the Hyderabadi girl said she has gotten over the euphoria of winning the title and is focusing on the Japan Open, which starts on September 22.

"Chinese Taipei is past now. I have already forgotten about it. It was a good experience, good exposure and boosted our confidence but Japan Open is a bigger tournament and a different tournament altogether and we are prepared for that," Jwala said.

Japan Open Super Series is the first tournament in which Jwala and Diju are competing after their Taiwan title win and she doesn't want to set any target for the event.

"I have never set any targets for myself. I don't believe in setting targets. We have been training hard and are well prepared for the tournament. I just want to perform consistently. So that even if we lose, we don't feel that we didn't play our best," Jwala said.

"We are playing a Thai pair in the first round and they are really good. They were in the top five earlier but of late they haven't played in the last couple of tournaments.

"We played them in the first Indian Open two years ago. We lost in the first round. I know things are different now but they are very experienced and we cannot take them lightly. For me, it is the first round which matters now," Jwala said.

Her partner V Diju, however, said he is hoping for at least a semi-final appearance.

"I am aiming to reach atleast the semifinals," Diju said. "Winning the Chinese Taipei title has helped improve my confidence level. I am not under any pressure and I am enjoying my game now," he added.

After Japan Open, Jwala and Diju will play in the Danish Open, French Open in the European circuit and will also feature in the Hong Kong and China Open later in the year.

This would be followed by the all-important World Super Series Masters in December, if they can qualify for the event by being in the world top eight.

Jwala will also combine with Ashwini Poppanna in the women's doubles event in the Japan Open and the 26-year-old said she was confident of a good show.

"Me and Ashwini have been performing consistently. We reached the quarter-finals in Taiwan and I'm confident we will be performing well in Japan too. I am not thinking of any ranking points at the moment. The focus is on improving our performance with each tournament," she said.

Jwala-Diju pair pulls out of Macau Open

Hyderabad, Aug 16 India's mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V Diju pulled out of the Macau Open after the latter picked up a back injury during their lost quarterfinal match in the World Badminton Championship at the Gachibowli stadium here.

The world number eight pair was seeded second in the tournament which starts on Wednesday at Macau city but the decided to skip the tournament and would next play in the Chinese Taipei Gold Grand Prix starting August 25.

"I felt a little stiffness in my back during our last match, so I decided to skip the Macau Open and take some rest so that we can play in the Chinese Taipei. It is not serious, its just an old pain. I'm okay and we would leave for Chinese Taipei next Sunday," Diju told PTI. - (Agencies)

'Super' Dan completes hat-trick, China sweeps World C'ship

Hyderabad: Defending champion Lin Dan of China completed a hat-trick of titles while compatriot Lan Lu clinched her maiden gold medal as the Asian superpower swept the World Badminton Championship at the Gachibowli stadium here today.

In an all-Chinese men's singles final, world number five and Olympic champion Lin outplayed second ranked Chen 21-18 21-16 in a battle that lasted for 46 minutes, while seventh seed Lu prevailed over fifth seed Xingfang Xie 23-21 21-12 in 38 minutes.

China also won the men's and women's double titles.

Eighth seeds Yawen Zhang and Tingting Zhao outlasted their compatriots and second seeds Shu Cheng and Yunlei Zhao 17-21 21-17 21-16 in the men's doubles final that lasted over an hour.

Later, fifth seeds Yun Cai and Haifeng Fu beat fourth seeded Korean pair of Jae Sung Jung and Yong Dae Lee 21-18 16-21 28-26 in an edge-of-the-seat women's doubles final in 75 minutes.

However, the Danish combination of Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl prevented a clean sweep by China when they pulled off the biggest victory of their career beating defending champion and second seeded Indonesian pair of Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir in straight games.

Seventh seeded Thomas-Kamilla pair brushed aside their opponents 21-13 21-17 in 38 minutes.

Fifth seed Lin rode on his lightening smashes and long rallies while Chen committed a series of unforced errors.

Lin pushed Chen into the backfoot after an initial neck and neck competition at 6-6. The left handed Lin soon opened up a five point lead at 11-6 as Chen was left doing the catch up act.

The second game was no different as Lin again moved ahead from the start. Chen bounced back to take the lead at 6-5 but a flurry of unforced errors cooked his goose.
Lin drew parity at 9-9 and then after moving together till 14-14, he surged ahead with two power-packed smashes and soon sealed the match.

"This is the first time I am here in India and it has been a great experience. I am happy to win the title," Lin said after the match.

"I am no genius, I just worked hard like my other teammates and I believe all my teammates can win the title as they work hard too," he added.

Asked if he is aiming gold in the London Olympics, Lin said, "That's is too far. For the moment I just want to play better in all the tournaments of this year."

Lin had won the World Championship in 2006 and 2007, apart from winning four All England titles (2004, 2006, 2007, 2009) and Beijing Olympics gold medal.

He helped China win three consecutive Thomas Cup championships in 2004, 2006 and 2008 and has also been a major contributor to Chinese teams which won the Sudirman Cup in 2005, 2007 and 2009.

Chen, who was playing his first world championship final, said he wasn't disappointed as his country has won the gold and that matters the most.

"There is no point to be disappointed as the title will go to China's pocket," he said.

Asked about the match, Chen said, "Before the match, I felt I had a chance but he (Lin) is much more experienced than me. He has played in three world championships now. For me, it is my first world championship and I know with time I will play better in future."

"I was nervous before the match and Lin seized more opportunities in crucial moments, which I couldn't," he added.

Asked what did the coach tell him before the match, Chen said, "Nothing specific, just said go and have fun."

In the women's singles final, Lu turned the table against the 2005 and 2006 world champion Xingfang to win her maiden world championship title.

Lu relied long rallies and strong smashes, and didn't allow her rival to come back into the game after winning a see-saw first game.

In the second game, Lu led from the start. Although Xingfang tried to come back, equalling at 9-9, she soon ran out of steam as Lu kept the momentum going.

"I finished the long rallies quickly and smashed hard and didn't give her a chance to come back. The first game was a really tough game but I didn't expect the second game to be so easy," Lu said after the match.

Asked if she fancies to be the number one, Lu said, "May be some day I will but I have to practice harder and win more such tournaments."

Xingfang said he was feeling a lack of energy after playing so many tough matches.
"I was feeling a lack of energy after playing some tough matches. After the Olympics, I feel with so many young Chinese players coming up, the drive is not that great," she said.

Thomas and Kamilli, who broke the Asian hegemony in the tournament, said it was the biggest day of their career and they were pleasantly shocked after the win.

"It's an amazing feeling. I am still shaking with the excitement. It got to be the biggest day of our career," Thomas said.

"I can now imagine what it means to be a world champion," he added.

Kamilla said this win will help Europeans to take the game to a new height.

"It is a great feeling. I hope this will inspire a lot of people in Denmark and Europe to take the game," she said.

'Super Dan' leads China's domination in World championship

Amit Kumar Das
Hyderabad, Aug 15 (PTI) Defending champion Lin Dan reached the finals after outlasting Sony Dwi Kuncoro in a thrilling three-game match as China's domination continued in the World Badminton championship at the Gachobowli stadium here today.
The World number five prevailed 21-14 13-21 21-15 over the sixth seed Indonesian in an edge-of-the-seat match that last more than an hour.
It will be an all chinese final in the men's and women's singles as World number two Chen Jin notched up an easy 21-16 21-6 victory over World number four Taufik Hidayat in a 39 minutes match.
In the women's singles too, China's Lu Lan beat compatriot Wang Lin to set up a summit clash with teammate Xingfang Xie tomorrow.
Lan, a bronze medalist at the World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, outgunned Wang 21-18 21-19 in 47 minutes, while 2005 and 2006 World champion Xingfang took just 33 minutes to dispatch Pi of France 21-18 21-8 in the semifinals today.
In a match that saw fortunes fluctuate too often, Sony made a remarkable comeback after a game down and snatched the second game but still couldn't make it to the finals as Lin had the last laugh.
"Sony had a good tournament. He played very patiently yesterday and today also he kept his patience and played with maturity. He did not allow me to finish off the game quickly," said Lin, who had defeated Sony in the finals of 2007 World championship.
"I am very relaxed after the Olympics and I am not thinking about winning or losing. It doesn't matter who wins tomorrow because we are both Chinese. The thing that matters most is that our country is assured of a gold, which shows the dominance of China in badminton," he added.
"I tried to slow the game down but he was quick with his strokes. He is special. You can slow down and have patience but you will still need that killer stroke to beat him," Sony said.
"My energy level was down today after playing the last few matches but I was not afraid," he added.
In the other match, fourth seed Taufik proved no match against second ranked Chen as the Chinese retrieved all his smashes and flicked in hard.
In the first game, Taufik had opened up a 4-0 lead but Chen soon drew parity and scrapped past him and although the Indonesian clawed back at 14-all, the Chinese moved ahead and pocketed the game comfortably.
Charged up by the first game win, Chen didn't give any chance to his rival and after taking a 8-0 lead went for the kill straight away as Taufik's crumbled under pressure.
"I didn't know how to play against him," Taufik said.
"I tried whatever I could. I smashes, played net dribbles but he was too good," he added.
"But he is 23 and I am 28. He is fitter and younger. If I was young like him, I would have beaten him surely," he quipped.
Chen said he didn't allow Taufik to play freely and kept him away from the nets.
"I didn't give him chance to play at the nets and he was a little slow today, may be because of the tougher matches that he played in the tournament so far but I respect him a lot," he said.
The women's doubles final will also be an all Chinese affair after eighth seed Chinese pair of Yawen Zhang and Tingting Zhao beat fifth seed teammates Jing Du and Yang YU 24-22 18-21 21-8 in a 68 minutes match to face off with compatriots second seed Shu Cheng and Yunlei Zhao.
Cheng-Zhao beat sixth seeded combo of Jin Ma and Xiaoli Wang 21-16 21-12 in a 37-minute semifinal.
However, in the mixed doubles, Seventh seed Dane mixed doubles pair of Thomas Laybourne and Kamilla Rytter Juhl scripted history reaching their first world championship final today beating top seed Korean Yong Dae Lee and Hyo Jung Lee 18-21 21-9 21-18 in an hour match.
But their compatriots sixth seeded combo of Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen could not emulate them and fell 18-21 21-14 18-21 to second seed Indonesian pair of Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir in 59 minutes.
After the match, Kamilla said she can't believe that they are in the finals and credited the win to the attacking game that they played all through out.
"I can't believe it, I am just so happy," Kamilla said. "I was feeling dizzy today but may be it worked as I was more calm."
"This is one of the biggest win. We beat the chinese yesterday and today the Korean. We kept on attacking and won the long rallies," she added.
Her partner Thomas said the fact that they have nothing to prove actually helped them.
"We were solid and made fewer mistakes. We knew they were the favourite and so didn't have any pressure," he said.
In the men's doubles, fifth seed Chinese Yun Cai and Haifeng FU saw off eighth seed Malaysian pair of Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari 18-21 24-22 21-15 in just under 60 minutes.
The Chinese pair will face off with fourth seed Korean combo of Jae Sung JUNG and Yong Dae Lee, who beat second seed Malaysian pair of Kien Keat Koo and Boon Heong Tan 16-21 21-14 22-20 in a see-saw battle of 53 minutes. PTI ATK

Thomas one step away from realising World C’ship title dream

Hyderabad: Denmark’s Thomas Laybourne had once bade adiue to badminton after losing interest in the game but now being close to fulfiling his world championship title dream along with his mixed doubles partner Kamilla Rytter Juhl, the shuttler feels he had taken the right decision of returning back to the sport.

Thomas and Kamilla today reached the finals of the mixed doubles event in the World Badminton Championship, beating top seed Korean pair of Yong Dae Lee and Hyo Jung Lee 18-21, 21-9, 21-18.

“I lost interest in badminton when I was 17 years old and so had stopped playing but I started playing again after a couple of years and today reaching the finals here, I feel that was the right decision,” Thomas said after the semifinal victory.

Returning to the court, however, was not easy and it was only in 2004 that Thomas, partnering Kamilla won his first big tournament
, the Dutch Open and then followed it up with the Danish national in 2005.

Thomas, who will touch 32 this September, said he wants to win the World Championship and an Olympic gold before retiring.

“I have these two goals in life and now that the world championship is a step away I would carry on till the London Olympics in 2012.”

“I know I am 31 but honestly I feel young and fresh. I want to train harder and make a last ditch at the London Olympics, after that may be I’ll stop,” he said.

The Dane duo also won the 2008 World Super Series Masters and was the finalist in the All England Championship in 2005.

Thomas, however, rued the absence of proper infrastructure for the game in Denmark.

“We don’t have proper facilites back home and we can train only for 2-3 hours which is not enough,” he said.

He felt the reason behind Asia’s domination in badminton is their early introduction to the game.

“We get education first and then we persue badminton and so it takes time to get mature and be at your best, where as in Asian countries like China and Malaysian, they start so early. It is a problem but may be its two different countries so things are different,” Thomas signed off.