LOOK: Venues for 2019 SEA Games View comments Brace for potentially devastating typhoon approaching PH – NDRRMC WATCH: Streetboys show off slick dance moves in Vhong Navarro’s wedding PH billiards team upbeat about gold medal chances in SEA Games PLAY LIST 03:07PH billiards team upbeat about gold medal chances in SEA Games05:25PH boxing team determined to deliver gold medals for PH02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games00:50Trending Articles01:35Panelo suggests discounted SEA Games tickets for students03:04Filipino athletes share their expectations for 2019 SEA Games00:45Onyok Velasco see bright future for PH boxing in Olympics02:25PH women’s volleyball team motivated to deliver in front of hometown crowd01:27Filipino athletes get grand send-off ahead of SEA Games UPLB exempted from SEA Games class suspension SEA Games: PH’s Alisson Perticheto tops ice skating short program Catriona Gray spends Thanksgiving by preparing meals for people with illnesses The Philippines faces host Malaysia Wednesday night at 8 p.m., most likely with a depleted lineup after one of its players in Nico Cadiz got injured during the Singapore duel.Cadiz, according to team manager, Petronilo Tigaronita, dislocated his left shoulder.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSWATCH: Drones light up sky in final leg of SEA Games torch runSPORTSSEA Games: Philippines picks up 1st win in men’s water poloSPORTSMalditas save PH from shutoutThe Filipinos, who are tipped to win the gold in the maiden ice hockey event in the SEA Games, wrap up their stint against Thailand on Thursday. MOST READ LATEST STORIES Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Read Next This photo taken on August 15, 2017 shows head coach Daniel Brodan (R) giving instructions to members of the Philippines men’s ice hockey team, dubbed the “Mighty Ducks”, during a practice session at a mall skating rink in Manila ahead of their games at the Southeast Asian Games (SEAGames) in Malaysia. / AFP PHOTO / TED ALJIBE The Philippines prevailed in a physical encounter with Singapore, 7-2, in the 29th Southeast Asian Games ice hockey tournament Tuesday night in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.The Filipinos rose to 2-0 after a dominating debut on Monday where they blanked Indonesia, 12-0.ADVERTISEMENT SEA Games in Calabarzon safe, secure – Solcom chief More medals from PH gymnastics as De Guzman, Capellan bag silver, 2 bronzes LIST: Class, gov’t work suspensions during 30th SEA Games
John Lloyd Cruz a dashing guest at Vhong Navarro’s wedding Brace for potentially devastating typhoon approaching PH – NDRRMC Police teams find crossbows, bows in HK university PLAY LIST 01:29Police teams find crossbows, bows in HK university01:35Panelo suggests discounted SEA Games tickets for students02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City Read Next MOST READ “I don’t understand the rule,” said Nikola Vucevic, who had 24 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando. “Pretty much any home team, if you’re up one and still got 1 second (on the clock), as soon as somebody throws it, just run the clock, and if somebody touches it, it’s a jump ball. It doesn’t make any sense. I think they’ve got to look into that. That’s frustrating when things out of your hands hurt you. But at the same time, that’s not why we lost the game.”Aaron Gordon scored 28 points and made a driving, go-ahead layup with 5 seconds to play for the Magic, who trailed 106-97 before scoring 10 straight points. Lopez then drew a foul while backing into the low post with 0.6 seconds left, and he coolly made both free throws.“I knew I was going to hit them,” Lopez said. “It was bizarre. I guess we had the game-winning jump ball.”Lonzo Ball had 16 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Lakers, who broke open a tie game with an 11-0 run midway through the fourth quarter, capped by Lopez’s thunderous dunk with 6:09 to play. But the Magic stormed back and trimmed LA’s lead to 106-105 when Jonathon Simmons made one of two free throws with 33 seconds left.Isaiah Thomas added 13 points and nine assists off the bench for the Lakers, who thrived despite the absence of leading scorer Brandon Ingram for the third straight game due to a strained groin.ADVERTISEMENT LATEST STORIES Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Typhoon ‘Tisoy’ threatens Games View comments “It’s obvious we’ve got a young group, and we didn’t execute down the stretch,” Thomas said. “I still don’t even know how it ended. I don’t even know what the call was. That (stinks) for the Magic. I’m glad we won.”TIP-INSMagic: Before the game, Orlando waived guard Rashad Vaughn. His sore knee would have prevented him from playing out the rest of his second 10-day contract, so the Magic made the move. … Evan Fournier scored 11 points before being sidelined during the second half by a sprained left knee.Lakers: They wore their powder-blue Minneapolis Lakers throwback uniforms. … Ingram won’t return until Sunday against Cleveland at the earliest. … The 7-foot Lopez somehow didn’t get a rebound in 35 minutes of play. “Fun fact,” he said with a sardonic grimace.ROOKIE ROLLKyle Kuzma had 20 points and 10 rebounds in one of his best games of 2018. The University of Utah product had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds for the first time since Dec. 22 at Golden State. He appeared to hit the rookie wall in January.THE BIG PAYBACKWhile recording their 10th win in their last 11 home games, the Lakers avenged an embarrassing loss in Orlando on Jan. 31. The Magic routed the Lakers 127-105 at Amway Center, even without Gordon in the lineup. That embarrassment partly sparked the Lakers on their current run of strong form, with nine wins in 14 games since that defeat.UP NEXTMagic: At Sacramento Kings on Friday night for the third stop on a five-game road trip.Lakers: At Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Lopez scored 27 points and hit two free throws with 0.6 seconds to play, and the Lakers blew a nine-point lead in the final 90 seconds before rallying back to beat Orlando 108-107 on Wednesday night.The game ended with a curious sequence of events. When the Magic inbounded the ball at midcourt after Lopez’s free throws, the clock started before anyone had touched the long pass. But because the mistake was technically a clock malfunction, the officials said the teams must have a jump ball at center court instead of replaying the possession, effectively preventing the Magic from getting a final chance to win.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSWATCH: Drones light up sky in final leg of SEA Games torch runSPORTSLillard, Anthony lead Blazers over ThunderSPORTSMalditas save PH from shutout“Just common sense would tell me in that situation, if the clock started early, just redo the possession,” Orlando coach Frank Vogel said. “They felt otherwise.”The weird ending ruined an otherwise thrilling finish between the Magic, who have lost nine of 11, and the surging Lakers, who have won six of seven. LOOK: Iya Villania meets ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ cast in Mexico Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton and Orlando Magic head coach Frank Vogel, hidden in a crowd of Magic players, waiting for a ruling on the final play of the game in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles Wednesday, March 7, 2018. The Lakers won, 108-107. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)LOS ANGELES — After the Los Angeles Lakers surged to a big late lead, the Orlando Magic erased it all and even went in front with 5 seconds left. Brook Lopez put the Lakers back ahead in the final second, setting the stage for a momentous finish.Thanks to a mistake with the Staples Center clock, the Magic didn’t even get the chance.ADVERTISEMENT Typhoon Kammuri accelerates, gains strength en route to PH James delivers in clutch as Cavs shoot down Nuggets Families in US enclave in north Mexico hold sad Thanksgiving Google honors food scientist, banana ketchup inventor and war hero Maria Orosa Pussycat Dolls set for reunion tour after 10-year hiatus
MOST READ Aside from his candid commentary, the former NBA player is notorious for bringing out the Philippines’ famed cleaning tool during playoff times—which perfectly signifies going winless in a best-of-seven playoff series.Speaking alongside fellow analysts Heather Cox, Michael Wibon and Chauncey Billups prior to tip-off of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs on Monday (Tuesday in Manila), the 2000 NBA Most Improved Player once again brought out the broom to signify the Spurs’ demise.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSSEA Games: Biñan football stadium stands out in preparedness, completionSPORTSMalditas save PH from shutoutSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hosting“I have as much respect for the Spurs as anybody, that’s why I’m not gonna wave it very high,” Rose said referring to the “walis tambo,” which he wrongly identified as its outside counterpart, the “walis tingting.”“But I have to get out the walis-walis, tingting tambo, because the Spurs will be getting swept this evening.” The 2017 NBA Playoffs have been filled with landslide victories or “sweeps,” and ESPN analyst Jalen Rose has surely taken notice.ADVERTISEMENT LATEST STORIES View comments His comical gesture was warranted, as the Warriors indeed swept the Spurs, catapulting themselves to a 12-0 post-season record and into their third straight NBA Finals appearance.READ: Warriors set 12-0 record for 3rd straight trip to NBA FinalsCome post-game, Rose once again proudly waved the “walis tambo.”“My Filipino family, fans, and friends wanted me to bring out the walis, walis, tingting,” he said. Khristian Ibarrola /raJalen Rose calls the GSW sweep tonight! Where the Filipino homies at! Lol. pic.twitter.com/XFP3ecK4JiADVERTISEMENT Man who told immigrant to go back to country asked to write essay SEA Games: PH beats Indonesia, enters gold medal round in polo Pagasa: Kammuri now a typhoon, may enter PAR by weekend Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Panelo suggests discounted SEA Games tickets for students PLAY LIST 01:35Panelo suggests discounted SEA Games tickets for students02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes Cayetano dares Lacson, Drilon to take lie-detector test: Wala akong kinita sa SEA Games 250 enrolled at phony school arrested in immigration scam Lillard, Anthony lead Blazers over Thunder — Warriors Talk (@JaeAzizi) May 23, 2017 Hornets beat Pistons for 8th straight time LOOK: Vhong Navarro’s romantic posts spark speculations he’s marrying longtime GF Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Warriors ready for third straight NBA Finals appearance
Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss PLAY LIST 02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games NGCP on security risk: Chinese just technical advisers Portugal’s Ines Henriques celebrates after winning the gold medal and setting a new world record in the women’s 50-kilometer race walk during the World Athletics Championships in London Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)LONDON — The first women’s 50-kilometer walk at the world championships produced a world record.Ines Henriques of Portugal bettered her own mark on Sunday by finishing in 4 hours, 5 minutes, 56 seconds on the two-kilometer loop in central London.ADVERTISEMENT NATO’s aging eye in the sky to get a last overhaul Football, Netball, Water polo bets open PH bid Trump signs bills in support of Hong Kong protesters LATEST STORIES The Frenchman’s time was the second fastest in history. Diniz set the world record of 3:32:33 in 2014.“A lot of training has gone into this – cycling, swimming – everything for this 50 (kilometer) walk,” Diniz said. “Last night I kept away from watching the TV because I did not want to get too excited. I went to bed at 9 because I knew it was going to be my day today.”Hirooki Arai was second in 3:41:17, two seconds ahead of Japanese teammate Kai Kobayashi in third.The 20-kilometer walks were also held Sunday. Yang Jiayu of China won the women’s event in a personal best time of 1:26:18. She beat Maria Guadalupe Gonzalez of Mexico by only 1 second.Antonella Palmisano of Italy was third in 1:26:36.ADVERTISEMENT Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. DILG, PNP back suspension of classes during SEA Games
Lyu Xiuzhi had been in line for bronze, but the Chinese walker was disqualified with about 50 meters to go.“In the last 100 (meters) I was in a hurry,” Lyu said. “I forgot that I already had a medal.”The men’s 20K was also close. Eider Arevalo beat 18-year-old Sergei Shirobokov of Russia by two seconds to win gold.The Colombian finished in 1:18:53. Caio Bonfim of Brazil was third in 1:19:04.Action will return to the Olympic Stadium later in the evening on the final day of the championships, and the United States is expected to add more to its medal haul in the 4×400-meter relays.American great Allyson Felix is favored to win a 16th world championship medal.Other finals are in the women’s 800, 5,000 and discus, and the men’s high jump and 1,500.Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Robredo should’ve resigned as drug czar after lack of trust issue – Panelo Lacson: SEA Games fund put in foundation like ‘Napoles case’ View comments Robredo should’ve resigned as drug czar after lack of trust issue – Panelo “The last 5 (kilometers) were really tough,” said Henriques, whose previous world record was 4:08:26. “My goal was to go under 4 hours and 6 minutes.”Yin Hang was second in 4:08:58, followed by Chinese teammate Yang Shuqing in 4:20:49.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSSEA Games: Biñan football stadium stands out in preparedness, completionSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSWin or don’t eat: the Philippines’ poverty-driven, world-beating pool starsOnly seven women started the race, which was being run at the worlds for the first time, and only four finished.In the men’s 50K, Yohann Diniz of France won in 3:33:12. At 39, Diniz is the oldest man to win a gold medal at the world championships. MOST READ Celebrity chef Gary Rhodes dies at 59 with wife by his side
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble has described his side’s nine-wicket crushing of underdogs Guyana in their opening Champions League Twenty20 match here as a “perfect game” with his players coming up with an all-round show.”It was a perfect game. We came up with an all-round show. The bowlers did a great job to restrict Guyana to 103 and then the batsmen finished off the match in style. It is good feeling that we have started the tournament with a win,” Kumble said after RCB’s nine-wicket victory.He said once the Guyana top-order, including captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, were out cheaply, his players knew they had a chance to restrict the opposition to a small total.”The first couple of overs were critical. Once Sarwan was out cheaply, the pressure was on them. When we chased the thought was always there to end the match fast (to boost the net run-rate], but you needed solid platform too. Rahul and Kallis did just that for Robin to be able to tee off,” he said.”The players got enough time at the middle and I am hoping that we would do well in the coming matches,” he added.Guyana captain Ramnaresh Sarwan admitted that once his side put up just 100-odd runs they knew it won’t be enough against a star-studded RCB side.”We did not put enough runs on the board. We lost early wickets and that put the pressure on us. There was not just enough runs to defend,” he said.advertisement”But majority of the players have never played in these conditions, and it is a learning experience. But we really need to learn fast,” he added.Man of the Match Jacques Kallis was happy that he could play a big role in his side’s win after coming off from an injury.”I am coming back from a back injury, so I couldn’t put too much work in the lead-up to the tournament. I am happy with my performance,” he said.”The team has got fantastic preparation in lead-up to the tournament. Credit should go to coach Ray (Jennings). We got good nets, good net bowlers.
Embattled Commonwealth Games OC chief Suresh Kalmadi is likely to appear before CBI on Wednesday for questioning in connection with the agency’s probe into alleged financial irregularities in the conduct of the mega sporting event.Official sources said that Kalmadi has been asked to come to the CBI office for questioning and he has informed the investigating agency he would make his appearance on Wednesday.The chief of the Games’ Organising Committee is likely to be quizzed on a number of issues regarding the Games including alleged bungling in Queen’s Baton Relay.CBI officials had yesterday visited the Games OC office here and questioned some officials. Besides they had seized certain documents related to QBR and other contracts with various firms.The sources said Kalmadi will also be asked questioned about certain contracts given to foreign firms for carrying out overlays work for the games in October last.The CBI had late last month contacted Kalmadi over phone asking him to appear before it for questioning but the OC chief had said he will be available only after January three.Kalmadi had earlier in the day said he has not yet heard from the CBI about possible date of his questioning.”I am yet to hear from the CBI. As and when I am informed, I will be available. I am extending full cooperation to all investigating agencies,” Kalmadi told PTI.The sleuths have grilled Kalmadi’s three key aides in connection with the scam. Sources said Manoj Bhori, political advisor to OC head, P K Srivastava and A K Sinha, both assistants to Kalmadi, were also called in for interrogation.advertisementThe CBI had earlier conducted raids at the residences of Kalmadi, OC Secretary General Lalit Bhanot, R K Sacheti, who is Joint Director General of the OC, and Sangeeta Welingkar, member of the Games Image and Look Group.The agency has so far filed three FIRs in connection with the alleged financial irregularities.While one case is related to a Rs 107-crore deal struck with a Swiss score keeping firm, the CBI had registered two other FIRs in connection with the contract given to AM Films for the Baton Relay ceremonies by the OC in London.The CBI has decided to approach the Sports Ministry to seek removal of Kalmadi and Bhanot from their posts citing failure of certain junior OC officials to cooperate with it which, it claimed, was hampering the probe.With PTI inputs
Low-scoring and edge of the seat exciting matches don’t mix. But Saturday’s ODI at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg not only mixed but gelled rather well with India winning the match by one run. SCOREWith this win India have squared the five-match ODI series 1-1.Man-of-the-Match Munaf Patel. APAnd the result wouldn’t have been so had India bowlers not come good at death against host South Africa.India batsmen after scoring a meagre 190 had left a lot to be done by the bowlers and still they performed.India’s Munaf Patel took the cake finishing with figures of 8-0-29-4. Undoubtedly, the wickets of openers Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.The wickets though widely spaced brought about the desired result. Amla fell early but Smith’s wicket came towards the end. In a way it was Smith’s wicket that proved to be the turning point of the match.Munaf knew that early wickets can make the difference in an ODI and he struck really early. He scalped Hashim Amla on 4 with a ball that came in from the off to take the edge of his bat and settle in skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s gloves behind the stumps. The hosts were 7/1 at this juncture.Still, a target of 191 was an easy call for South Africa batsmen. And Colin Ingram and Graeme Smith wanted to make sure that it stayed easy. The two batted on to numb the Indian bowling attack and kept the Protea scoreboard ticking.advertisementThe duo had put on 59 runs for the second wicket before Harbhajan Singh claimed Ingram on 25 with the umpire adjudging him LBW even as the South Africa score was 66/2.Unfortunately for the hosts AB de Villiers, who wasn’t looking confident, fell to Ashish Nehra on eight.Later, Rohit Sharma accounted for J.P. Duminy on 13 as the South Africa score was 120/4.But, Smith was still at the crease and had found his lost form. Finally, Munaf Patel sent him back on 77 with an inside edge from his bat crashing into his stumps.At death, Zaheer Khan claimed David Miller and Johan Botha to bring India within striking distance of a victory.And then Dale Steyn’s run out and Morne Morkel’s wicket added to the excitement, but again it was Munaf who performed the final act when the hosts were just two runs away from a win with just one wicket in hand.A short ball saw tail-ender Wayne Parnell go for a big hit but Yuvraj Singh caught him at point and that was the end of South Africa batting. They could only manage 189 on board.Lonwabo Tsotsobe. APEarlier Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who had claimed four wickets in the first ODI in Durban, came up with another four-wicket haul to reduce India to 190 all out.He scalped opener Murali Vijay, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina to nip in bud any designs that the visiting batsmen had of scoring at a brisk pace.After scalping opener Murali Vijay early, Tsotsobe came back to send Yuvraj Singh packing on 53, breaking the 83-run fourth wicket partnership between him and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.Yuvraj went for a big hit but failed to cross the boundary and Dale Steyn lapped it up in the deep as India score read 150/4.That wicket started the slide as batsmen kept paying the crease quick visits.Suresh Raina, who picked up from where Yuvraj Singh had left too fell after staying in the middle for a few minutes. He had put 11 on board before Tsotsobe claimed his third wicket of the day. India score then was a poor 169/5 in 41.1 overs.Soon, he struck again to send skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni back on 38. India now were 172/6 with the tail popping up. And the tail managed to put just 18 runs before heading back to the pavilion.Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli too could not stay in the middle for long.Tendulkar fell in the 19th over when the India total was 67/3. Off spinner Johan Botha foxed Tendulkar with a turner as the batting maestro failed to read his delivery that turned in sharply from the off stump line. He fell for 24 with an edge from his bat striking against the stumps.Virat Kohli, who had scored a resolute half-century in the first ODI in Durban, was run out by David Miller in Morne Morkel’s over. He fell on 22.India skipper M.S. Dhoni had won the toss and elected to bat.The two teams now meet at Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday.advertisement
The Oscar envelopes and announcement cards that contain names of winners of the most coveted honour in movie industry are getting a facelift.Breaking away from a 70-year routine, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will this year use a glamourous gold envelope at the 83rd Academy Awards instead of the plain, white paper envelope, the kind available at any office supply store.”The envelopes are such an integral part of the Academy Awards, yet there has never been a dramatic, specially designed envelope and card to announce the Oscar recipients,” telecast producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer said in a statement.The new custom-designed, handcrafted keepsake envelopes and announcement cards have been made by Los Angeles-based custom stationer Marc Friedland. The envelopes are made of “iridescent” gold paper watermarked with little images of Oscar. It is lined with shiny red paper embossed with gold Oscars.The winner’s name appears on a heavy piece of lacquered red paper inside, with the category listed on front and back. The envelope will be sealed with a shiny red sticker adorned with two strips of red ribbon.”The Art Deco-inspired satin gold envelope will contain a heavyweight ecru card featuring gold foil accents and a gold leaf-embossed Oscar statuette along with the phrase – ‘And the Oscar goes to…’,” the statement said.The winner’s name on the announcement card would be printed in charcoal ink and mounted onto a matching, red lacquer hand-wrapped frame. The back of the card will be printed with the award category.advertisementTill now, the envelopes were printed on heavy cream-coloured stock, with plain block letters sporting the name of the category and, inside, the phrase ‘And the Oscar goes to’ and the winner’s name and film.The Academy has been using sealed envelopes for the last 70 years after a winner’s name had leaked out early once.Friedland, whose company Marc Friedland Couture Communications has designed high-end invitations for the past 25 years, said in spite of the Oscar envelope being the most “iconic” and “symbolic” envelope in the world, “it was funny that it was the most non-descript, office supply store bought” till now.”At the end of the day, the event is a celebration of an amazing accomplishment. We wanted to bring back the elegance and glamour. The design concept was to be timeless, regal and rich and luxe… the envelope serves as an iconic symbol of that moment,” Friedland added.Friedland got the envelope assignment two weeks ago.He took design cues from the look of this year’s Oscar set. He will prepare cards bearing the names of each of this year’s nominees. After the ballots are tabulated, partners at PricewaterhouseCoopers will prepare two complete sets of correct envelopes, and destroy the remaining cards.This year, the Academy is also returning to the phrase ‘And the Oscar goes to…’ after a one-year experiment with ‘And the winner is…’ to announce who wins the award.
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Highlights 169: India Today Conclave 2011 comes to a close.#Highlights 168: Palin says there are a lot of gals out there who would make good presidential candidates.#Highlights 167: Palin does not know whether she will fight for US Prez post in 2012.#Highlights 166: Palin on Indo-US ties: We have got to be linked in so many respects.#Highlights 165: Palin’s role models? asks Purie. Palin says she ‘believed in Reagan’s policies’, praises Lincoln.#Highlights 164: Palin on media: You need boldness to set the record straight.#Highlights 163: Palin’s military concerns: US needs to be vigilant as to what China is doing.#Highlights 162: Aroon Purie asks for Palin’s views on Libya. Palin: We can support no-fly zone.#Highlights 161: Palin: We are thankful for free trade we are engaged in.#Highlights 160: Palin: What America can show the world is what is possible…Yes, may we be free! Thank you & God bless you!#Highlights 159: Palin: Friends, our two democracies understand the struggle for freedom.#Highlights 158: Palin: America has long been famous for our rags-to-riches stories. Now India is, too.#Highlights 157: Palin: The ‘Changing Balance of Power’ throughout the world today is driven by the empowerment of the individual.#Highlights 156: Palin: I admire India’s tradition of strong women leaders – at home & abroad.#Highlights 155: Palin: Indian entrepreneurs are investing in the US, even as US businesses expand here.#Highlights 154: Palin: The relationship between our countries could shape the course of the next century.#Highlights 153: Palin: America’s demise has been predicted before. It didn’t happen then, it won’t happen now.# Highlights 152: Palin: Today we speak of India as a “dynamic & vibrant economy”.# Highlights 151: Palin: Our need for energy independence is only one of the strategic challenges we face today.# Highlights 150: Palin: Push for ‘green’ at the expense of ‘conventional, reliable’ sources is not a credible energy policy or economic policy.#Highlights 149: Palin: I’ve seen firsthand how energy development, job creation & national security are inextricably linked.#Highlights 148: Palin: As governor of my state, my goal was to clean up corruption and develop our rich natural resources.#Highlights 147: Palin: Optimism & respect for individual liberty shaped both my political beliefs & my vision for my country.#Highlights 146: Palin: When I had the honour of meeting your PM, I expressed my admiration for India’s rich culture.#Highlights 145: Sarah Palin: My country was discovered in the age of exploration.#Highlights 144: Sarah Palin: I appreciate getting to see some of your magnificent city.#Highlights 143: Aroon Purie, Editor in Chief, India Today: Sarah Palin has 1.5 million followers on facebook.#Highlights 142: Aroon Purie, Editor in Chief, India Today, introduces Sarah Palin.#Highlights 141: Sarah Palin, first female governor of Alaska (2006-2009), 2008 Republican Vice-Presidential nominee and author to speak.#Highlights 140: Next session: My vision of America.#Highlights 139: Niall Ferguson: India is an astonishing story.#Highlights 138: Niall Ferguson: ‘Empire’ was not the original thing the Western powers did after 15th century. It was least original.#Highlights 137: Niall Ferguson: In work ethic, the US has become like Europeans.#Highlights 136: Niall Ferguson: The US is on a completely unsustainable financial trajectory right now.#Highlights 135: Niall Ferguson: US suffers recesses in public finance.#Highlights 134: Niall Ferguson: America’s fiscal deficit stands at 10% of the GDP.#Highlights 133: Niall Ferguson: The US has ADDS (Attention Deficit Disorder Syndrome).#Highlights 132: Niall Ferguson on US decline: I love the US and want its success.#Highlights 131: Niall Ferguson on US decline: After Iraq, Aghanistan situation is worse.#Highlights 130: Niall Ferguson: America not good at being an empire.#Highlights 129: M.J. Akbar: No emperor had created as secure a kingdom as Mughals.#Highlights 128: Next speaker: Niall Ferguson, British historian.#Highlights 127: M.J. Akbar, Editorial Director, India Today, chairs the session on American decline: Myth and reality.#Highlights 126: Arun Shourie to audience: You have the legitimacy for structural change.#Highlights 125: Arun Shourie: Utopian idea of state funding of polls won’t do.#Highlights 124: Arun Shourie: Day-to-day hearing, change in the rule of evidence and incarceration can curb corruption.#Highlights 123: Arun Shourie: Everybody is blaming others. No one recognises one’s own responsibility.#Highlights 122: Arun Shourie: Today no one is talking of reforms. Does anyone speak?#Highlights 121: Arun Shourie: Countervailing powers are interlinked. Radia has just lifted the lid. Everybody is in touch with everybody.#Highlights 120: Arun Shourie: In the US you act only through institutions, unlike India.#Highlights 119: Arun Shourie: Everybody has the power to block things, nobody has the power to push things.#Highlights 118: Arun Shourie, journalist, author and former Union minister for disinvestment & telecom starts his speech.#Highlights 117: K.P. Singh praises judiciary, says we need fast-track courts to punish those, who siphon away public money.#Highlights 116: K.P. Singh: In Indian context, both politics and business have a clearly defined role.#Highlights 115: K.P. Singh: With checks and balances, politics and business can help the cause of the common man.#Highlights 114: K.P. Singh: If politics and business called an odd couple, it will be a sure recipe for disaster.#Highlights 113: K.P. Singh, DLF Ltd chairman: Development is possible only if politics and business function in harmony.#Highlights 112: Rajeev Chandrasekhar: Decline of govt institutions and conflict of interests need to be addressed.#Highlights 111: Rajeev Chandrasekhar: It’s the quid pro quo that creates problems.#Highlights 110: Rajeev Chandrasekhar: There is some shadiness about the relation between business & politics.#Highlights 109: Rajeev Chandrasekhar: Business is prime catalyst for change.#Highlights 108: Rajeev Chandrasekhar: The state and govt will always be a huge animal in the room.#Highlights 107: Rajeev Chandrasekhar, entrepreneur and RS MP: This debate is critical to change India.#Highlights 106: Sandeep Bamzai, Sr Editor, Headlines Today, chairs The Business Roundtable.#Highlights 105: Next session to start: Politics and business: the odd couple.#Highlights 104: Md Azharuddin at Q&A: People in India’s villages can’t say what GDP is.#Highlights 103: Vijender Singh: Proper preparation and planning a must to win Olympic medals.#Highlights 102: Boxer Vijender Singh: Why cricket? What about other sports. We must give them their due.#Highlights 101: Sonakshi: The ruling party and Opposition must stop putting each other down and try to work together.#Highlights 100: Actor Sonakshi Sinha: Everything Western is not cool. Originality is cool.#Highlights 99: Actor Sonakshi Sinha: I imagine an India, where education is a necessity, not an option, especially for girls.#Highlights 98: Actor Sonakshi Sinha: Girls are an asset.#Highlights 97: Actor Sonakshi Sinha: I am talking to you as an Indian girl, not as an actor.#Highlights 96: Anurag Thakur: Unless we fulfil the basic needs of the common man, we cannot realise the idea of India.#Highlights 95: Anurag Thakur: The biggest stakeholders, our youth, should be involved in policy making.#Highlights 94: Anurag Thakur: If we can’t talk of inclusive growth, we would be shying away from the truth.# Highlights 93: Anurag Thakur: My India has come a long way. Our growth annoys many. But growth hasn’t benefited the common man?# Highlights 92: Imtiaz Ali: If you try to sway young people, they will say it doesn’t make sense.# Highlights 91: Imtiaz Ali: People are thinking today. There is no pushing of hypocritical ideas any more.# Highlights 90: Sanjiv Bajaj’s message to youth: Integrity of thought, pursuit of excellence and fearless in behaviour.# Highlights 89: Sanjiv Bajaj: Corruption is a way of life. Only honesty can earn us our due place.# Highlights 88: Taseer: If we have to say something to the world, we need high ideas and real imagination.#Highlights 87: Taseer: There are no shortcuts in life.#Highlights 86: Taseer: Literature cannot begin in a vaccum, takes inspiration from somewhere, from the past.#Highlights 85: Aatish Taseer starts his speech.#Highlights 84: Rahul Kanwal starts introducing ‘young achievers’.#Highlights 83: Speakers: Imtiaz Ali, director, Sonakshi Sinha, actor, Boxer Vijender Singh and author Aatish Taseer.#Highlights 82: Speakers: Anurag Thakur, MP, Lok Sabha, youth chief, BJP and Sanjiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj FinServ Ltd#Highlights 81: Rahul Kanwal, Executive Editor, Headlines Today, to chair next session: Ideas: My India, Our future.#Highlights 80: Sir Lee: It is the decentralised nature of the web that appeals to people.#Highlights 79: Sir Lee on who should control Internet: Lee I can’t tell the answer.#Highlights 78: Sir Lee on who should control Internet: I can’t tell the answer.#Highlights 77: The Web Foundation is doing a lot of things to empower people: Sir Lee#Highlights 76: Wikipedia started as a utopian paradise: Sir Lee# Highlights 75: No one should control Internet: Sir Lee#Highlights 74: When Google can use our data to sell ads, why can’t governments do the same to solve our problems: Josh Klein#Highlights 73: The governments should share information online with people: Josh Klein#Highlights 72: Internet anonymity is a key issue that needs to be tackled: Josh Klein#Highlights 71: There are many governments quietly trying to control the Internet: Sir Lee#Highlights 70: There are many exciting things happening online: Sir Lee#Highlights 69: I wanted data online: Sir Tim Berners Lee#Highlights 68: Internet will play an important role in the formation of a new government in Egypt: Wael Ghonim#Highlights 67: Internet empowers people: Wael Ghonim#Highlights 66: Internet is playing a key role in Egypt: Wael Ghonim#Highlights 65: We wanted the government to communicate with us online: Wael Ghonim#Highlights 64: There is no mainstream media. People are the media now: Wael Ghonim#Highlights 63: After so many years, I feel that I got my dignity back: Wael Ghonim#Highlights 62: Credit goes to the youth who contributed immensely in creating the web page on Egypt revolution: Wael Ghonim#Highlights 61: We appealed people to start the Egypt agitation on Facebook: Wael Ghonim#Highlights 60: Egypt revolution was like Wikipedia, where everyone contributed: Wael Ghonim#Highlights 59: Kalli Purie, Chief Creative Officer, India Today Group, chairs The Digital Debate.#Highlights 58: Greer: Women have to fight men on the one side, women in their society on the other. That’s life.# Highlights 57: Kalli asks: Harshest judgement on women comes from other women. Greer: Evey woman knows her hardest critic is her mother.#Highlights 56: Fatima Bhutto at Q & A: No one is romanticising the veil. It is pretty hard to romanticise the veil.#Highlights 55: Fatima Bhutto: Banning burqa in France does’t make bikini-wearers any safer.#Highlights 54: Fatima Bhutto: Burqa and bikini can co-exist, but problem is in understanding.#Highlights 53: Greer: I cannot countenance persecution of people who wear bikini or burqa. Burqa and bikini can co-exist.#Highlights 52: Greer: We need co-existence. Penetrative culture penetrates every aspect of our lives.#Highlights 51: Greer: 99% women look dreadful in bikini. But burqa can’t give them big bottoms either.#Highlights 50: Greer: It is extraordinary to say burqa liberates.#Highlights 49: Greer: If you wear burqa, it is your life.#Highlights 48: Greer: If you wear burqa, because someone has forced it on you, then you need to negotiate.#Highlights 47: Greer: It is the jealous men, who want to keep women’s body a secret.#Highlights 46: Kalli Purie introduces speakers feminist writer Germaine Greer and writer & activist Fatima Bhutto.#Highlights 45: Kalli Purie: Clash of titans – bikini vs burqa.#Highlights 44: The gender debate follows: Kalli Purie, Chief Creative Officer, India Today Group, to chair.#Highlights 43: Kashmir debate seemed endless as expected.#Highlights 42: Arif quotes Kalhan, says ‘Kashmir is a region that takes delight in resurrection’.#Highlights 41: Geelani: We denounce terror in all forms.#Highlights 40: Farooq at Q&A: Division is not acceptable for me & my party. Enough is enough.#Highlights 39: Geelani: We need to address the issues in Kashmir, which is the bone of contention between India & Pak.#Highlights 38: Geelani: Lakhs of Muslims have been killed in Jammu & Kashmir since 1947.#Highlights 37: Geelani: As a human being, you should understand the sufferings of the people of Kashmir, where there are seven lakh forces.#Highlights 36: Geelani: Kashmir dispute is all about broken promises.#Highlights 35: Geelani: I represent the sentiments of majority in Jammu and Kashmir.#Highlights 34: Geelani: I want you to hear of our pain & sufferings.#Highlights 33: Arif: Quran justifies armed action only when someone is expelled from his/her home because of his/her faith.#Highlights 32: Arif Mohd Khan: Muslims from India face humiliation in Pakistan.#Highlights 31: Arif Mohd Khan: Those who were called refugee are leading the mainstream in India today.#Highlights 30: Arif Mohd Khan: ‘Freedom’ word is always there in Geelani’s speech.#Highlights 29: Kashmir debate: Farooq against plebiscite.#Highlights 28: Kashmir also belongs to Buddhists, Hindus: Abdullah.#Highlights 27: We can accept everything, but not division: Abdullah.#Highlights 26: The only way out of Indo-Pak conflict is dialogue: Abdullah.#Highlights 25: India is ready to hear and do everything which will stabilise the nation: Abdullah.#Highlights 24: Geelani deserves to be heard: Joshi.#Highlights 23: Manoj Joshi begins Kashmir debate. Dr Farooq Abdullah is among three speakers.#Highlights 22: The India Today Conclave: Day 2 proceedings begin.#Highlights 21: Arif Mohammad Khan has authored Text and Context, a 2010 bestseller. The volume contains two pieces on Kashmir#Highlights 20: Syed Ali Shah Geelani set for Kashmir debate.#Highlights 19: Manoj Joshi, Dy Editor, Mail Today is set to chair Kashmir debate.#Highlights 18: Day 2 proceedings of the India Today Conclave 2011 are due to start shortly.#Highlights 17: The Conclave will end with a gala dinner with Sarah Palin as the chief guest.#Highlights 16: The first female Governor of Alaska (2006-2009) and 2008 Republican V-P nominee will speak on what she thinks of America.#Highlights 15: Sarah Palin will deliver the Dinner Keynote Address on ‘My Vision of America’.# Highlights 14: An address by noted British historian Niall Ferguson on ‘American decline: Myth and reality’ to follow.#Highlights 13: Speakers: RS MP and entrepreneur Rajeev Chandrasekhar, ex-Union minister Arun Shourie and DLF chairman K.P. Singh.# Highlights 12: The roundtable discussion on politics and business follows.# Highlights 11: Gen Next speakers: Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali and author Aatish Taseer.# Highlights 10: Gen Next speakers: Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur and Bajaj FinServ Ltd MD Sanjiv Bajaj.#Highlights 9: Speakers: Actor Sonakshi Sinha and Olmpic medallist boxer Vijender Singh.#Highlights 8: After lunch, there will be a youth workshop on ‘Ideas: My India, Our future’.#Highlights 7: Speakers: World Wide Web inventor Sir Tim Berners Lee, serial hacker Josh Klein, Egypt revolution hero Wael Ghonim.# Highlights 6: The Digital Debate (‘Information: Revolution or revelation’) follows.#Highlights 5: Gender debate speakers are: Feminist writer Germaine Greer and Pakistani writer and activist Fatima Bhutto.#Highlights 4: The Kashmir session will be followed by the Gender Dialogue (‘Can the burqa co-exist with the bikini?’).#Highlights 3: Speakers: All Parties Hurriyat Conference chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Former Union Minister Arif Mohammad Khan.#Highlights 2: The Day 2 proceedings begin with a debate on Kashmir.#Highlights 1: Day 2 proceedings of the India Today Conclave 2011 will start at 10 am.#advertisementadvertisementadvertisement
It was Zaheer Khan’s dismissal of Windies opener Devon Smith that opened the gate for India’s win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.Chasing 269, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Smith were batting with ease, rotating the strike at will and milking away at India’s bowling. But, Zaheer got the better of Smith on 81 with his slower ball in the 31st over bringing an end to their 63-run partnership.The opposition lost their third wicket on 154 and that’s where the slide actually began for the West Indies.Man-of-the-MatchEarlier, India posted 268 against the West Indies and it was Yuvraj Singh’s maiden World Cup ton that proved to the highlight of the batting.But that wasn’t all, he came back to deliver the goods with the ball taking two important scalps in the match.Yuvraj Singh earned the Man-of-the-Match award for his all-round performance.
A grim battle between the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the government is on cards with the National Sports Federations (NSFs) on Sunday deciding to reject the National Sports Development Bill, the draft of which has been prepared by the Sports Ministry.The representatives of the NSFs are scheduled to meet the Sports Minister Ajay Maken on Monday to discuss the legislation, for which comments and suggestions were taken from various stake-holders and also public.Senior lawyer R K Anand will represent the IOA.The officials of the 25 out of the 34 NSFs met in New Delhi on Sunday ahead of the meeting with the ministry and decided to reject the proposed legislation, saying it is actually an effort by the government to overtake the sports bodies in the country.Vijay Kumar Malhotra, the acting President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) addressed the press after the meeting.”The Bill has been formulated in such a way that the government wants to take 100 per cent control of sports at every level. We are going to outrightly reject the Bill tomorrow. We will put forward our views to the government,” Malhotra, who is also President of the Archery Association of India, said.IOA Secretary General Randhir Singh said, “This is a large Bill and it has to be debated upon.”The issues being addressed in the Bill include demand for 25 per cent reservation for sportspersons in the election to various sports organisations, transparency and secret balloting in elections, sexual harassment of sportspersons and anti-doping law.advertisementIOA has also convened a meeting of its Executive Board on May 24 in the wake of the arrest of its President Suresh Kalmadi on charges of corruption.Maken has already asked the IOA to conduct fresh elections but Malhotra has rejected the demand.- With PTI inputs
India will not get a magic window through the new Swiss law to access the country’s money stashed illegally in secret bank accounts in Switzerland. In fact, the new black money pact with the Swiss is pretty much useless for accessing money which has already been squirreled away abroad. At best, it might prove to be of some use in tracking future illegal transfers.Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has stated that while countries have accepted to end bank secrecy in general, some countries have agreed to do so only from a prospective date and are not willing to exchange past banking information. The new law approved by the Swiss parliament is seen to fall in this category.However, a senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer told Mail Today that under the Income Tax Act cases that go back to six years ago can be opened up in the current assessment of income tax payers if required. This information can then be obtained from the Swiss authorities.Government mulls tough laws on black money “No government introduces a law with retrospective effect but that does not mean that old cases which have been thrown open for scrutiny in current assessments cannot be looked into,” he pointed out. He said the new Swiss law does not allow limitless access but is a positive development.The onus now rests with the income tax (I-T) authorities . If the I-T department does its spade work well, the Swiss authorities will provide the information. The new Swiss law has come after pressure being built up by the G-20 leadership with France and Germany spearheading the effort. “India is in fact a beneficiary of the move of the Western countries seeking to bring their tax evaders to book and now needs to make the most of this opportunity,” an IRS officer said on the condition of anonymity.Some senior officials are of the view that the veil of secrecy over the Swiss banking system has not been lifted as the old cases have been left out of the ambit of the new law since it is applicable with prospective effect. It also comes with the rider that “fishing expeditions” to peep into bank accounts of individuals will not be allowed.However, those who view the development as positive point out that no country in the world will allow roving enquiries into private bank accounts. The I-T department has to establish a case and then ask for specific information.The Swiss parliament on Friday gave approval to amendments to tax treaties with countries, including India, that makes it easier for them to access information about the illegal funds held by their nationals in Swiss private banks. The upper house of the Swiss parliament endorsed amendments to double-taxation agreements (DTAAs) in line with internationally applicable standards.For more news on India, click here.For more news on Business, click here.For more news on Movies, click here.For more news on Sports, click here.advertisement
Indian tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi failed to notch up his third Wimbledon mixed doubles title as he and his partner Elena Vesnina were outplayed by Jurgen Melzer and Iveta Benesova in straight sets in the final here on Sunday.The fourth seeded Indo-Russian pair lost 3-6, 2-6 to their ninth seeded opponents in a 51-minute summit clash at the center court.Austrian Melzer and Czech Republic’s Benesova, who have not lost a single set on their way to the title, were the dominant pair for most part of the final match with better serve and returns.Bhupathi and Vesnina found their opponents’ serve too hot to handle most of the time as the Austrian-Czech duo had as many as seven aces to the Indo-Russian duo’s two — with Melzer serving at lightning pace without reply on many occasions.Bhupathi and Vesnina were broken serve in the fourth game as Melzer and Benesova raced to 4-1 lead before winning the first set 6-3 in 24 minutes.In the second set, Bhupathi and Vesnina were broken in the third and seventh games to lose it in 27 minutes and surrender the match.With the loss today, Bhupathi failed to equal his once estranged doubles partner Leander Paes’ 12 Grand Slam titles as he remained on 11 Major crowns — seven in mixed doubles and four in men’s doubles.Bhuapthi has not won a Grand Slam title since clinching the 2009 Australian Open mixed doubles trophy along with compatriot Sania Mirza. All of Bhuapthi’s mixed doubles titles have come with different partners.advertisementPaes has won six men’s doubles and as many mixed doubles titles.- With inputs from PTI
The Pakistani cricket team would not play in Mumbai during its tour of India starting in December owing to the threat by Shiv Sena, sources said on Wednesday.The Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) has written to the government seeking permission for the Pak team’s tour. Its proposed itinerary has no mention of Mumbai.Opposing some Pakistani artistes’ participation in a TV reality show, the Shiv Sena had also threatened that it would not allow Pakistan cricket team to play in Mumbai because of its role in terror activities against India.The BCCI has written to the ministries of home affairs, external affairs and sports and youth affairs for the Pak team’s tour of India.The visitors are set to play three ODIs and two Twenty-20 matches between December 28 and January 6.
LOOK: Joyce Pring goes public with engagement to Juancho Triviño Serbia’s Novak Djokovic (L) and Switzerland’s Roger Federer shake hands at the end of their men’s singles semi-final tennis match on day six of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 – Rolex Paris Masters – indoor tennis tournament at The AccorHotels Arena in Paris, on November 3, 2018. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)Roger Federer Sunday said he planned to speak to fellow big guns Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray about the future of ATP Tour chief Chris Kermode after reports of a move to oust him.Britain’s Daily Telegraph said it had seen a strongly worded email sent out by ATP player council member Vasek Pospisil to players ranked between 50 and 100.ADVERTISEMENT LATEST STORIES SEA Games hosting troubles anger Duterte Magic edge Celtics for 2nd time Federer said he was not on top of what was going on but planned to speak with his colleagues about it.“I was going to speak to some of the council members. I’m practising with one of them this afternoon, Robin Haase,” he said ahead of the Australian Open.“I would like to hear a little bit from him how the council meeting (on Saturday) went, where their general feel is about leadership in the ATP.”Federer added: “We’ve had a good five, six years now under Chris’ leadership. Obviously it’s an important role. “We need to look at it very thoroughly. I need to speak with Novak, Rafa, and Andy a little bit just to get their take on it all.”ADVERTISEMENT SEA Games: Biñan football stadium stands out in preparedness, completion It reportedly called for the workforce to “start acting and running like a business not like a bunch of scared kids … we need a CEO that first and foremost represents OUR interests”.The email added that “the governance structure of the ATP favors the interests of the tournaments and its (their) owners … It’s time for a change and it can be achieved by staying unified and demanding what we deserve for our hard work”. FEATURED STORIESSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSUrgent reply from Philippine football chiefSPORTSWin or don’t eat: the Philippines’ poverty-driven, world-beating pool starsThe ATP board — comprised of three tournament representatives and three player representatives — is expected to vote on a possible renewal of Kermode’s contract this month.He needs two of the three board members from each side of the ATP to support him. Private companies step in to help SEA Games hosting PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games PLAY LIST 02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games02:11Trump awards medals to Jon Voight, Alison Krauss
LOOK: Joyce Pring goes public with engagement to Juancho Triviño Adding to the ATP board woes was member Justin Gimelstob pleading not guilty last month to a felony battery charge in a Los Angeles court.The two-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion was accused of attacking one-time friend Randall Kaplan. He pleaded not guilty.“With the board member (Gimelstob), we know the situation. It’s pending,” said Federer.“We’re waiting to see what’s going to happen. I know him well. So we’ll see what the situation is there. “But it’s definitely interesting times, I’d like to call it, not bad times in our sport,” he added. “I think it’s maybe also a bit of a transition time. So it will be interesting to see what’s going to happen.”Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. SEA Games: Biñan football stadium stands out in preparedness, completion TS Kammuri to enter PAR possibly a day after SEA Games opening MOST READ Is Luis Manzano planning to propose to Jessy Mendiola? View comments
The countdown has begun. In exactly five months from now the curtain will go up on what is easily the most ambitious project India has undertaken in recent years – the IX Asiad. On November 19, which also conveniently happens to be Mrs Gandhi’s 65th birthday, 5,000 athletes from 32,The countdown has begun. In exactly five months from now the curtain will go up on what is easily the most ambitious project India has undertaken in recent years – the IX Asiad. On November 19, which also conveniently happens to be Mrs Gandhi’s 65th birthday, 5,000 athletes from 32 countries representing the cream of Asian sport will assemble in New Delhi to battle for a total of 580 medals over the next 15 days.For the athletes, it will be a culmination of four years of blood, sweat and tears. Their triumphs and tragedies will be part of sporting history, half-buried in the mass of dry statistics. But the statistics will fail to reveal the real triumph of Asiad ’82 – the incredible saga of how the New Delhi Games became a reality. The real heroes of the Games will not be the lithe, finely-honed athletes but the faceless men who made the Asiad dream come alive.Stripped of the controversies that have dogged the frenetic scramble to physically make the Asiad a possibility; the political snakes and ladders that has taken place; the strident outcry of the environmentalists and the inevitable allegations of rake-offs, the Asiad project is undeniably a triumph of India’s technical and professional ability.It has been an Olympian race against time: a mere 20 months to erect five brand new, complex and state-of-the-art stadia and renovate and expand 12 more existing ones, apart from the other accompanying arrangements that entail the hosting of an international sporting meet of the magnitude of the Asiad. “It is the largest and most complex management exercise the country has undertaken so far,” boasts S.S. Gill, the stern-visaged secretary-general of the Special Organising Committee (SOC) for the Asian Games and a senior IAS officer.advertisementIndian cycling hopes practising in the velodrome with the indoor stadium in the backgroundAwesome Task: Even viewed statistically, the totality of material that has gone into the making of Asiad ’82 indicates the awesomeness of the task. Just the stadia alone have accounted for over 8 crore bricks, 100.000 tonnes of cement, 90,000 tonnes of steel and over 300 kilometres of cables and wires. Put end to end, the number of bricks alone would girdle the globe. The amount of cement and steel would be enough to erect a new township or build a dozen bridges. And that is segregated from the other beaver-like building activity that has disrupted normal traffic flow in the capital for the last two years and is undoubtedly very much a part of the Asiad project. This includes no less than seven flyovers, widening of 30-odd roads and 10 new five-star hotel projects, in itself a mammoth undertaking which has in one stroke changed forever the face of Delhi.By last fortnight, the biggest question mark that loomed over the Asiad project – the question of it being ready in time for the Games – had almost been obliterated. A majority of the stadia have long since lost their skeletal shape and are rapidly nearing completion. Last fortnight, the first of the flyovers was commissioned and an official D-day for the last of the project has been slated for September 1. Apart from the hotels, of which only two or possibly three will beat the deadline. Asiad ’82 will be go by that date if the current momentum continues.That, of course, will be the triumph. The tragedy is that the frantic and unrelenting round the clock pace at which the project has been operating was totally unnecessary. The vote to give New Delhi the Games was decided in Montreal as far back as 1976. Yet actual work on the project started in earnest only in 1981.Woman worker at the indoor stadium: Racing against timeIn between was a succession of disasters, all of them man-made and politically motivated, that seriously threatened to jeopardise the Games even before the first brick had been laid. India’s hesitant bid to host the Games predictably ran into a strong political headwind. Initially, it was brushed under the carpet amid the urgency of the 1977 general elections.Then came its biggest hurdle in the form of the Janata government which dithered over the issue of whether to hold the Games or back out. Typically, no decision was taken except the formation of an inevitable steering commitee under Vijay Kumar Malhotra. By the time the Janata government had dug its own grave in 1979. Asiad ’82 consisted of a handful of dusty and dogeared files. But bigger threats loomed ahead. Charan Singh, heading a shaky caretaker government at the Centre, dismissed the Asiad as a “costly tamasha” and one the country could ill afford.advertisementControversy: Meanwhile, the Asiad was embroiled in an unprecedented controversy over whether it should be held in Delhi or in neighbouring Haryana, where Chief Minister Bhajan Lal was making a desperate bid for its staging for reasons that again had very little to do with sport. Fortuitously for Asiad, while the Cabinet was debating Charan Singh’s directive to renege on hosting the Games, his government collapsed. The suspense, however, was only over in mid-January 1980, when Mrs Gandhi gave the Games the go-ahead at the first Cabinet meeting held by the new Congress (I) Government.Political delays, however, continued to dog the Games with the unsavoury dismissal of Malhotra as chairman of the Organising Committee and his replacement by V.C. Shukla, the then civil supplies minister. But once Shukla fell out of favour and was dropped from the Cabinet, his ouster from the Asian Games was only a matter of time. By the time the axe actually fell and Buta Singh, the vice-chairman of the committee and, ironically, Shukla’s replacement in the Civil Supplies Ministry, was elevated to chairman, 1980 was well on its way.Chetal (left) and Dass: Unique projectBut with Mrs Gandhi’s official blessings and the fact that son Rajiv and his personal kitchen cabinet were later actively involved in the Games, the Asiad nightmare gradually faded and the uncertainty gave way to increasing optimism. In late December 1980, Gill was appointed secretary-general of the SOC and a hand-picked team was selected with the help of Raja Bhalindra Singh, president, Asian Games Federation and president, Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Though packed with politicians, the 28 committees set up under the SOC to handle various aspects of the Games contained enough talent in the form of technocrats, senior service officers and bureaucrats to ensure that once established, the pace could be maintained.Costly Blunders: The delays and the drastically shortened time-span had, however, taken their toll. The original estimate of Rs 61 crore as the price-lag for staging the Games was soon made a mockery of by escalation, deliberate delays by contractors, some costly blunders and unforeseen expenses as a result of sheer inexperience. In fact, it is the spiralling cost of holding the Games that has given its detractors the most ammunition and labelled it in many quarters as an unaffordable extravagance. Appu, the prancing elephant, the IX Asiad’s mascot, has also become a symbol of the white elephant that many people believe the Games will be as far as the country is concerned.In fact, the myriad related controversies that have accompanied the preparations for Asiad have largely paled before the main controversy regarding its actual cost. There are alarming variations between the figures that have been given out in Parliament, the figures given by the SOC and the costs computed by people actually working on the Asiad sites. Parliament, for instance, has been repeatedly informed that the cost of staging the Games will work out to a mere Rs 61 crore.advertisementThe main stadium on Lodhi Road: Producing its own heroesThat, however, is the original estimate and bears not the slightest relation to the final total, which, if one includes the related activities – seven flyovers, widening of 30-odd roads, construction of 10 hotels, electrification of the ring railway – works out to over Rs 470 crore which is considerably less than the Rs 700 crore that is being bandied about but also infinitely higher than the official figures being handed out.Officials of the SOC conveniently delink their expenses to that incurred on the flyovers and hotels with the excuse that “these are all part of the metro’s normal requirements”. But there is no question that it is only because of the Asiad that they are being built now. The controversial School Lane flyover, for instance, was mooted as far back as 1962 – 20 years ago. But even accepting the SOC’S argument, their figures are definitely being underplayed.Their claim is that they have spent Rs 49 crore as capital cost on construction of the stadia with a 15-20 per cent escalation cost. Yet, according to engineers on site, the cost of the village alone will work out to over Rs 35 crore while the Indoor Stadium, the largest in Asia and the third largest in the world, will cost close to Rs 40 crore.The SOC’s total figure, which includes administrative expenses such as equipment, transport and furnishings estimated at Rs 18 crore, works out to Rs 77 crore. Again, according to official estimates, the revised cost of the stadia alone totals slightly over Rs 100 crore and with the cost of the expensive equipment imported for the Games, the actual total is nearer to Rs 150 crore. Seven flyovers and road widening activities have cost around Rs 35 crore while the 10 hotel projects together come to around Rs 280 crore. A fairly conservative estimate of the cost of the Games then is close to Rs 465 crore.(Clockwise from top left) Jayaraman, Sarma, Chawla and Rishi: Working under pressureThe irony, however, lies in the fact that even that figure is hardly an over-indulgence for something as mammoth and prestigious as the Asiad. Just one modern fertiliser project would cost more, and the Asiad is certainly destined to boost India’s international stature considerably alter the Games. Says SOC Chairman Buta Singh: “The Asian Games will put us firmly on the world sporting map. Once we have staged the Asiad successfully, India will have a much larger say in international decisions concerning sports. Many people don’t realise that with this, the number of votes India has in international federations are almost doubled. Apart from that, India is a major Asian power in everything except sport. We wanted to catch up and this was the best time. The very fact that we are staging the Games increases our status considerably.”Advantages: IOA President Raja Bhalindra Singh, a keen sportsman and the guiding spirit behind the Games, takes a longer and broader view. “I see it as a tremendous incentive for the youth of the country. For the first time, they have equipment and facilities that are the best available. Above all, it will channelise their energies into something worthwhile.” To illustrate this, he quotes the example of Thailand which was racked with serious student violence in the early ’60s.But once Bangkok established itself as an international sports centre (it has staged three Asiads since then), Thailand’s students have had more productive channels for their energies. On another plane, Japan is a classic example of the advantages that accrue from becoming an international sports centre. Before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Japan was at the bottom of the sporting ladder. Since then, Japanese athletes have challenged the best in the world and have increased their medal tally, quite literally, by leaps and bounds.Indian grapplers at practiceBut even if the Games turn out to be an unqualified success, the question of whether they were necessary or not will continue to simmer. Arguably, the Rs 470 crore which the Games will cost, and that is a highly conservative estimate, is Rs 200 crore more than the total investment in village and small industries for the 1981-82 Plan allocations.If invested in small industries, it could have provided employment for over two million people. But that is largely an academic exercise, which always comes back to the crucial point – if India wants to play in the Big League and wants the facilities to do so, the cost factor is justified. If, however, the facilities are left to rot after the Games and the staging of Asiad ’82 is only an ego trip for a handful of people , the cost would be far too heavy a price to pay. But only the future will really tell. In that context, the New Delhi Asiad is clearly a major investment for the future.Till now, India’s decline in the sporting arena and the monotonous string of failures has been conveniently disguised under the all-embracing heading of “lack of proper equipment” whether it was astroturf for the hockey players, synthetic tracks for athletes, fibreglass poles for pole-vaulters, et al. With the Asiad having ushered in the modern sporting age in India, that catch-all no longer applies and if Indian sportsmen continue to lag, it will be for other reasons.Pride: Nobody can doubt that Asiad ’82 is a sports-lovers’ dream come true. The stadia and the equipment are undeniably world-class. The fact that they have been completed in record time is a matter of statistical record. What is clearly a matter of national pride is the fact that the stadia are state-of-the-art affairs designed and built by men who had no experience in the field at all.A diver framed in the upraised arms of anotherThe piece de resistance of the Games is the Indoor Stadium inside the Indraprastha sports complex which sprawls over 110 acres of land on the banks of the Yamuna. Viewed from the air, the Indoor Stadium looks like something out of Star Wars, a futuristic space station that overshadows everything else for miles around. Assigned to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) which so far has confined itself to battalions of box-like houses, the Indoor Stadium is an architectural marvel. The stadium has a diameter of 150 metres and is a bowllike structure supported on eight pylons. The complexity of the design required the import of an international expert on stress analysis of space structures – Professor Z.S. Makowski. Makowski admitted that the Indoor Stadium was “one of the most interesting structures” he had been associated with. The stadium, which is centrally air-conditioned, will be the venue of the gymnastics, badminton and volleyball events during the Asiad and has a capacity of 25,000. It will also have a soundproofed, collapsible partition which can divide the stadium into two halves for simultaneous events.In the office of the chief project engineer for the stadium, V.P. Chetal, is a board giving the day’s work. Above that is a sign which says “Countdown 65”, an ever-constant reminder that there are 65 days left to get the complex ready for handing over to the Asiad. “It is the biggest project I have ever worked on,” says Chetal, “there are 49 separate agencies involved in one way or another; 7,000 labourers working in two shifts round the clock and over 50 engineers and architects.” The main architect, Sharat Dass, who designed Mrs Gandhi’s farmhouse, admits that he will probably wind up losing money on the project but the reputation will more than compensate for the loss. For DDA Vice-Chairman, V.S. Ailawadi, there is a similar benefit. “It has redeemed our reputation,” he says.Real Heroes: It is Ailawadi and a handful of others who are the real heroes of the Asiad and not the fat cats who are cornering all the glory. Chetal, the chief engineer of the Indoor Stadium, is a modest, self-effacing man who insists that the credit should be jointly shared. But obviously, it is his dynamism and 18-hour-a day-seven-day-a-week efforts and his rapport with the main architect, Sharat Dass, a short, earnest, bespectacled individual, which have made the stadium into a top-of-the-line product.Bhalindra Singh (left) and Buta SinghChetal’s office is an island of quiet efficiency within the helter-skelter of the pounding of pile-drivers and the hammering of nails. Maps; charts and progress reports are plastered all over the walls and walkie-talkie sets keep him in constant touch with his key men on the project site. “I think our main achievement is the constant minute by minute monitoring which has enabled us to stay on top of the work,” he says. Chetal also concedes that his bosses in the DDA have backed him all the way.DDA Vice-Chairman Ailawadi, for instance, gave Chetal the go-ahead to start the pile-driving work even before the project budget had been officially sanctioned, thus giving them at least two months of lead time. Says Dass: “It is a unique project and that is why I think everybody pitched in and worked like madmen. The sense of satisfaction in seeing something like this take shape before your eyes is something incredible.”Wonders: Ironically enough, the Asiad has been an inadvertent advertisement for the DDA with its engineers having surpassed themselves like never before. R.S. Jindal, the chief project engineer of the Village project, is another overly-modest individual but one who has achieved wonders. A short, plump, clean-shaven man with no airs about him, Jindal has, however, been responsible for a Village that is as good as anything thatBangkok or Tokyo can provide. Though it is likely that some of the 853 houses may not be ready in time, the ones that will are tastefully designed and well-constructed with the interior designing in traditional Indian motifs. DDA will, of course, get three times the amount they have spent when the houses are sold after the Games but for once the scramble for the houses will be justified. “I think we have proved that a combination of determination and hard work is all that is required,” says Jindal.A bird’s-eye view of the sprawling village complex for the 5,000 athletes expected for the AsiadThe main stadium has its own heroes in the form of the four-man team that, sans experience, drew up the design and plans in the record time of one month. Originally, the main stadium was meant to be sited in the National Stadium at the end of Delhi’s central vista that stretches from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. Only after work had started did it dawn on the organisers that the stadium with its lighting towers would ruin the central vista concept laid down by Lutyens. “By the time the new Lodhi Road site was located and approved, it was June 1980. By July, the conceptual drawings were handed over and on August 2, we submitted our estimates,” says N.C. Jayaraman, the balding, affable chief engineer of the project.Actual work started on October 26, 1980 which gave them less than two years in which to construct an international Olympic standard stadium. “It is entirely our own design and concept and the best part is none of us had ever seen an international stadium before,” says S. Gupta Sarma, the thin, earnest man in charge of the complex lighting system.Sarma, Jayaraman, S.K. Chawla, the superintending engineer and M.K. Rishi, the architect who designed the actual stadium, all feel that it has been a joint effort. “It has been a period of considerable tension and trauma,” they chorus, “the short time span has limited our work but it is still a matter of great pride and satisfaction.”The Asiad limelight will fall squarely on the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, a sprawling, saucer-like structure spread over a 100-acre plot in the heart of the city with a seating capacity of 75,000, which will stage the Games’ glamour events – the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics and football. Scheduled to be completed in the incredible time span of 20 months, this stadium is of Olympic standards with an eight-lane synthetic track girding a green football field. Towering above the stadium like giant insects are four steel towers, each 57.5 metres high, which will provide the lighting for the stadium to facilitate colour TV transmission and floodlit events.Each headframe perched at the end of the towers is the size of a tennis court and consists of 172 metal Halide lamps of 2 kw each and 84 Halogen lamps of 1 kw each. A giant scoreboard, 9 metres high, of the matrix type will flash out instant results in English and Hindi as well as black and white pictures. It will be connected to a computer-controlled micro-processor. The scoreboard will also be connected to a computer terminal which will enable it to display almost instant results of events taking place at other venues. It will be supplied and operated by Seiko.Other, no less ambitious projects include the Games Village which is virtually a township and will accommodate about 5,000 athletes and officials. The houses themselves are easily the best design that the DDA has evolved so far, with a theatre for the performing arts, a giant reception centre, a dining area capable of feeding 2,000 people at a time, a discotheque, and a 60-foot water tower with a restaurant and viewing gallery.Test: Though the Asiad infrastructure is almost complete except for the cosmetic applications, the real test will lie in the running of the Games, which will be handicapped by India’s relative inexperience. Organising, and monitoring an event as gigantic as the Asiad is an unenviable exercise that will entail the use of 2,600 technical officials, 2,000 general officials, 1,000 ushers, 2,000 men from the Indian army and the BSF for security and 600 people as liaison officers and receptionists. “We are not claiming that it will be an easy task but we have identified all the possible problem areas and I think we will be able to pull it off,” says Bhalindra Singh.The actual cost of running the 15-day Games has been optimistically estimated at around Rs 15 crore but the SOC, if it plays its cards right, should earn more than that from various sources. In fact, one prime example of the SOC’s inexperience is that they were convinced that the major source of revenue would be from the sale of tickets. It was only much later that it dawned on them that the Asiad is big business. The biggest money-spinner is the sale of television advertising rights and arena advertising inside the various stadia. A Dubai firm, Metco, has agreed to pay $6 million (Rs 5.4 crore) for arena advertising rights while a Los Angeles-based company, Vipin Sehgal and Associates, have guaranteed a like sum. Together, the revenue from that and sponsorship of various TV programmes by multinational companies will net the SOC over Rs 10 crore.Revenues: Foreign television rights have already been sold to the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union and the Arab States Broadcasting Union for around Rs 21 lakh. In addition, the franchising of the logo and the emblem of the Games will bring in another Rs 50 lakh. The sale of tickets is expected to bring in another Rs 1.5 crore since five Indian banks will pay the SOC five lakh each to get their names printed on the back of the tickets.Mikasa of Japan, the famous ball manufacturers, will also pay Rs 7 lakh for the privilege of having their names printed on the rear of the tickets in addition to supplying $60,000 (Rs 5.4 lakh) for royalty fees as “official ball suppliers to the Games”. Mikasa will also supply 500 balls each for football, volleyball, handball, water polo and basketball.Similarly, a total of $110,000 (Rs 9.9 lakh) in cash and sporting goods will be supplied by top sports manufacturers like Asics, Dunlop, Yonex, Garuda and Canon. Gill estimates that the eventual revenue from the Games should wind up around the Rs 17 crore mark. Little wonder then, that India has already made a bid for staging the 1983 Afro-Asian Games and is also hopeful of staking a powerful claim for the 1992 Olympics as well. But that is really putting the cart before the horse.One major area where the SOC has been slack is in the pre-publicity of the Games. Very few people outside Delhi have an idea of what the Games are all about or what the achievements have been so far. Tarlochan Singh, the public relations head of the SOC, admits that they have been lax in publicising the Games, or exploiting the souvenirs and mascots for commercial purposes.Publicity: The SOC, however, has an answer to that accusation. Buta Singh and Gill say that the publicity has been deliberately low-keyed because of accommodation restrictions. “We can easily get 50,000 visitors for the Games but if there is no accommodation for them they will go back with a bad image of us,” says Gill, SOC estimates that the maximum accommodation available for the Games will be 6,500 rooms.So far, travel agencies and hotels report a negligible amount of bookings for the Asiad but it is certain to pick up in the months ahead, particularly from Japan which is expected to walk away with a major share of the medals. Current indications are that there will be at least 10,000 spectators from outside Delhi who will be here for the Games but many of those from inside the country will probably make their own arrangements with relatives and friends. The delay in producing the tickets means that they will go on sale only next month, barely four months before the start of the Games.As it is, the pre-Asiad preparations have produced some bitter lessons, apart from the laxity in the publicity campaign. Even inside the maze-like offices in Pragati Maidan that house the SOC headquarters, the organisation is derisively referred to as “Sikh Organising Committee”, a none too subtle dig at the number of turbaned heads that occupy the jerry-built offices.Many of the occupants have found their way there because of political connections rather than any specific merit. Gill, the operational head, has antagonised a number of SOC employees because of his autocratic behaviour and his bureaucratic approach to problems. Last fortnight, Lt-General Harbuksh Singh, a distinguished army officer, quit the SOC because of differences with Gill and at least three others have preceded him for the same reason.Indian sports history is littered with disaster stories all involving the excessive concentration of members of a particular community and it might be advisable to avoid such concentrations if only to keep events like the Asiad free from further controversies. It is also questionable whether a full-time politician like Buta Singh, despite his status as head of the Amateur Athletic Federation, should be put in charge of similar projects. Buta Singh may have contributed much to the success of Asiad but his political duties bar him from giving off his best.Slogan: The SOC has also been taken to task for the “junkets” its officials have been on. Originally, Air-India had agreed to provide 200 free tickets for Asiad officials but by last month, according to SOC figures, 225 tickets had already been utilised, all under the catch-all heading of learning from the experiences of previous major sporting events held elsewhere. The favourite destinations have been Los Angeles, Montreal, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Moscow. In fact, a popular slogan doing the rounds goes: “Join Asiad and see the world.”The question of whether India is capable of getting ready for the Games on time has disappeared but it has been replaced by one that is equally vital and looms as large – whether India can stage a successful Asiad. Politics rendered the Olympics in Munich and Moscow a disaster and though the Asiad should be free of political handicaps barring the tension between two participants, Iran and Iraq, anything could happen. Shankaran Nair, the man in charge of Asiad security, insists that all possible precautions have been taken and all visitors will be thoroughly screened, apart from the stadia being searched one hour before opening each day to avert possible bomb threat hoaxes.But security alone is not the only headache that Asiad ’82 will face. The Lok Dal and George Fernandes & Co have threatened to launch protests against the Games though most people are hoping that better sense will prevail. After all, Asiad ’82 is India’s big bid for international stardom. For 15 days, New Delhi will be making international headlines, for an event that, in terms of prestige, is the biggest stakes India has played for in a long time. November will be the moment of truth.
Once known as the “Bad Boy from Dadiangas,” Navarrete was as popular for his ring exploits as for the controversies that chased him off the squared circle.Dy, one of the attractions in the historic Brave 22: Storm of Warriors card Friday night at MOA Arena in Pasay City, wants to show he’s made of different stuff.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSUrgent reply from Philippine football chiefSPORTSPalace wants Cayetano’s PHISGOC Foundation probed over corruption charges“I’ll be honest, I was always an average student, I got my college degree because I had to. I was an average basketball player and an awful dancer. Fighting is what I really know, it’s what I love. Being able to be here and represent my country… it’s amazing,” said Dy.Dy impressed the crowd during the public workout Wednesday night at Newport Mall in Resorts World Manila. His father is one of boxing’s favorite cautionary tales. And Rolando Dy wants to prove to all that he’s a different man.A college degree holder from Lyceum of the Philippines University, the 28 year-old Dy is the son of Rolando Navarrete.ADVERTISEMENT Dy grew up estranged from his father but said his mother and uncle, who is a pastor, took care of him very well.“I can’t ask for more,” said Dy. He battles Pakistani fighter Mehmosh Reza in one of the main cards of Brave 22, a brainchild of Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain.In the main event, Filipino champion Stephen Loman clashes with French-Algerian challenger Elias “Smiling” Boudegzdame for the bantamweight title.ADVERTISEMENT Trump campaign, GOP groups attack Google’s new ad policy SEA Games hosting troubles anger Duterte Trending Articles PLAY LIST 00:50Trending Articles01:58Pacquiao prepares for bout with ‘arrogant’ Keith Thurman00:50Trending Articles02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games02:11Trump awards medals to Jon Voight, Alison Krauss Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Private companies step in to help SEA Games hosting 1 dead, 3 injured in Quezon road crash P2.5 B shabu seized in Makati sting, Chinese national nabbed
Hong Kong tunnel reopens, campus siege nears end MOST READ Lacson backs proposal to elect president and vice president in tandem Boonraksasat triumphs at S’woods View comments LATEST STORIES Urgent reply from Philippine football chief Don’t miss out on the latest news and information.
Toronto Raptors guard Jeremy Lin (17)gets fouled on his way to the hoop by New York Knicks centre Mitchell Robinson (26) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto, Monday, March 18, 2019. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors will likely have to wait a little longer to get their entire lineup healthy at the same time.Jeremy Lin scored 20 points, Fred VanVleet had 13 points and 12 assists for his first career double-double, and the Raptors beat the New York Knicks 128-92 on Monday night.ADVERTISEMENT SEA Games hosting troubles anger Duterte Colombia protesters vow new strike after talks hit snag MOST READ Miguel Romero Polo: Bamboo technology like no other “I watched the clip,” Lowry said. “I think it was a little bit dirty. He grabbed me and pulled me down. I don’t think he did it on purpose. I know he didn’t think he was going to hurt me.”Robinson, who fouled out with no points in 14 minutes, did not speak to reporters.Marc Gasol had 12 points and 11 rebounds, Pascal Siakam scored 19 points and OG Anonoby had 14 as Toronto reached 50 wins for the fourth straight season.Allonzo Trier scored 22 points and Kevin Knox had 12 as the Knicks lost big one day after Mario Hezona’s last-second block gave them a 124-123 home win over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. New York, which has the worst record in the NBA at 14-57, lost for the ninth time in 10 games.“Toronto is going to be in that mix at the end,” Knicks coach David Fizdale said. “They’ve got all the ingredients to go after this thing. We took one on the chin tonight.”ADVERTISEMENT Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Trump tells impeachment jokes at annual turkey pardon event With the Raptors playing the second game of a back-to-back, forward Kawhi Leonard was given the night off to rest. Leonard scored 33 points in Sunday’s loss at Detroit. VanVleet, who returned to the lineup Sunday after missing 12 games because of an injured left thumb, started in place of Leonard.With forward Serge Ibaka set to return from a three-game suspension Wednesday, Toronto looked set to have its whole roster available for the first time since the trade deadline. Instead, Lowry may be forced to miss at least one of this week’s two games against Oklahoma City. Toronto visits the Thunder on Wednesday before hosting them Friday.“I’ll be doing some treatment all night, trying to get myself healthy and try to get back and not be out long,” Lowry said.Toronto made 14 of 17 shots in a blistering first, including five of seven from long range, and led 38-29 after one. The Raptors led 73-54 at halftime. It was Toronto’s highest-scoring half of the season.After the Raptors opened the second half with an 8-0 run, Fizdale called timeout and removed all five starters.“Not getting it done, not playing at the level I wanted to see the game played at,” Fizdale said. “They understood. I think every guy that was out there owned it.”The change didn’t help, and Toronto took a 101-69 lead into the fourth.TIP-INSKnicks: G Dennis Smith Jr. missed his third straight game because of a sore lower back and F Noah Vonleh missed his second straight because of a sprained right ankle. … Fizdale said G Frank Ntilikina will be reevaluated Tuesday. Ntilikina has not played since Jan. 27 because of a sore groin. … Robinson has now recorded a block in 28 straight games, tying Patrick Ewing for the longest streak ever by a Knicks rookie.Raptors: Ikaba served the third and final game of his suspension for throwing a punch at Cleveland’s Marquese Chriss on March 11. … Toronto is 15-5 without Leonard. … Toronto’s 36 assists matched a season-high. The Raptors had more assists than the Knicks had made baskets (28). Wintry storm delivers US travel woes before Thanksgiving David Beckham admits using phone while driving, police say Google Philippines names new country director ATLANTIC ACHIEVEMENTToronto is 8-0 at home against Atlantic Division opponents. The Raptors have won 31 straight home games against Atlantic foes. Their last home defeat to a division opponent was a Nov. 10, 2015, loss to the Knicks.WHOLE AT HALFToronto won its 18th straight game when leading at halftime, extending a franchise record.UP NEXTKnicks: Host Utah on Wednesday night.Raptors: At Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next The victory came at a cost to the Raptors, who saw guard Kyle Lowry leave in the third quarter after suffering an injured right ankle. Lowry, who had 15 points and eight assists in 26 minutes, was back in the lineup after missing the previous two games because of a sore left ankle.Toronto coach Nick Nurse said Lowry’s latest injury was “not terribly bad,” although Lowry said after the game that his ankle was “pretty tender.”FEATURED STORIESSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSPalace wants Cayetano’s PHISGOC Foundation probed over corruption chargesSPORTSSingapore latest to raise issue on SEA Games food, logistics“I’m able to walk, a little bit slower, but I’ll be all right,” Lowry said.New York rookie center Mitchell Robinson collided with Lowry while chasing a loose ball at 5:15 of the third, falling onto Lowry’s legs and taking the All-Star point guard down from behind. Lowry slapped the floor in pain and frustration before being helped to his feet and limping to the locker room. PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games PLAY LIST 02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games02:11Trump awards medals to Jon Voight, Alison Krauss LATEST STORIES Private companies step in to help SEA Games hosting Bloomberg: US would benefit from more, not fewer, immigrants View comments
COMMENTS Shikhar Dhawan continued his golden run but a rare flop show from the famed middle-order saw Sri Lanka restrict India to 329 for 6 here on the first day of third cricket Test.Courtesy Dhawan’s (119) sixth Test hundred and a record 18-run opening stand with KL Rahul (85), India looked good for a score close to 400 after opting to bat.However, some fine bowling in the final two sessions by left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara (3/40 in 18 overs) and chinaman Lakshan Sandakan (2/84 in 25 overs) helped Sri Lanka gain some foothold when stumps were drawn on the opening day.The in-form Cheteshwar Pujara (8), last Test’s centurion Ajinkya Rahane (17) were dismissed cheaply while skipper Virat Kohli (42) was dismissed after getting set.However, Kohli had been reaching out to play the spinners from his crease and ended up edging the ball to first slip off Sandakan in the 79th over.Ravichandran Ashwin (31) looked compact but became left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando’s scalp at the fag end of the day.Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha (13 batting), who survived a DRS appeal for caught behind, then brought up India’s 300 in the 81st over even as the visitors were in dire need of a partnership to make their morning advantage count.The duo added 26 runs for the 6th wicket and negotiated the second new ball properly as well. But Ashwin was caught behind off Fernando, two overs before stumps leaving India with more work to do on the second day.Earlier, it was yet another solid start from Dhawan and Rahul as they bettered the highest opening stand against Sri Lanka in away Tests, going past the 173-run stand between Manoj Prabhakar and Navjot Sidhu during the 1993 series.Rahul missed out on another Test hundred, miscuing one straight to Dimuth Karunaratne at mid-on off left-arm spinner Pushpakumara in the 40th over. His 135-ball knock had eight fours.Dhawan though stayed and scored his second hundred of this series off 107 balls. He added 31 runs with Cheteshwar Pujara (8) but the latter did not look very comfortable despite good batting conditions.Dhawan was caught at square leg, thanks to a leaping effort from skipper Dinesh Chandimal, a second dismissal against the run of play as he was just looking to cut loose with a flurry of boundaries.Dhawan faced 123 balls in his knock and punished the home bowlers with 17 boundaries.Pujara’s discomfort at the crease came to an end as he was caught at first slip off Sandakan in the 51st over.He put on only 10 runs with Kohli as India were left to rebuild their innings despite being in a comfortable position.Earlier, Dhawan, who scored at a brisk pace, and Rahul settled down quickly on an easy-paced wicket with true bounce.Paceman Lahiru Kumara was very expensive in his first six overs, leaking 41 runs while Fernando also could not keep the batsmen in check. So much so that Karunaratne had to be introduced early into the attack and was the best Lankan bowler on display in the morning session.The opening duo brought up its 50-partnership off just 55 balls in the 10th over and kept up this pace of scoring to reach 100 off 107 balls in the 18th over.They remained in control even when the hosts introduced spin into the attack in the form of Dilruwan Perera.For Rahul, it was his seventh successive fifty in Test cricket overtaking Gundapppa Viswanath and Rahul Dravid (both with six half—centuries each).With Yadav and Sandakan featuring in the match, it is only the second time since 2004 when two ‘chinaman’ bowlers are playing in the same game after Dave Mohammed (West Indies) and Paul Adams (South Africa) at Cape Town. SHARE COMMENT SHARE SHARE EMAIL
Published on cricket August 12, 2017