Multi-layer domestic competition system made China mighty

JAIPUR: Multi-layer domestic competition system made China a superpower in international table tennis map. It is reveled by China's cadet boys team coach Liu Heng. He was here for the 15th Asian Junior Table Tennis Championship. He also suggests India to adopt the system.

Liu Heng said that India is also an emerging nation in the world table tennis. He said that like China, India has also a number of talented paddlers. Suggesting the multi-level domestic competition system for India Liu Heng said that it would take some time after applying it in the country as China took 20 to 30 years for fruitful results.

China asserted their supremacy in the four-day Asian junior event in the pink city by clinching seven medals while the hosts finished without any. Heng is quite happy with the fact that China has started opening their training facilities to other countries, including India. As part of the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games preparation, a team of Indian paddlers recently underwent a month-long training camp in China.

India knocks the door of Golf World Cup

NEW DELHI: This year may be called golden year for Indian sports world. Boxing, archery, cricket, women's boxing, chess, snooker, shooting, tennis and golf are among the top games where Indian players emerged as winners. This time golf made news for the country. India has been given a chance to have a direct participation in Golf World Cup. All credit goes to Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh.

Due to his personal performance, the country has been selected among the six Asian nations who will participate in Golf World Cup that is going to be held in November 26-29 this year. India, Thailand, Korea, Chinese Taipei, Japan and China will take part in the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup to be played in China. 42nd ranked Jeev Milkha Singh will represent India, Thongchai Jaidee will spearhead Thailand's challenge for the second straight year, Lin Wen-tang will lead Chinese Taipei, US-based Charlie Wi will represent Korea while Ryuji Imada, who featured for Japan and finished tied third last year, will return for another crack at the prestigious team title.


China qualify automatically as host nation of the World Cup and will be represented by Liang Wen-chong who makes his fourth World Cup appearance. Jyoti Randhawa of India is the second highest ranked Indian at 154 who is to represent the country if Jeev unavailable for the event, according to the norms of World Golf.

No financial penalties on Australia, forfeited

NEW DELHI: In a Board meeting a few days back has said that no financial penalties will be levied on Australia for not attending matches in India due to security concerns.

Whereas any agencies express doubt about the security. The Board of Directors of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has said that the financial penalties had forfeited the Asia-Oceania zonal tie in May that was scheduled to be held in Chennai.

Apart from this landmark decision, the Board said that the next tie between the two countries would be a home tie for India, and restored the normal choice of ground rule for future ties between the two countries.

Three Indians made to the finals at Russian boxing tourney

NEW DELHI: Indian pugilists dominated even at Magomed-Salam Umakhanov Memorial Boxing Championship as three Indians stormed into the finals of different weight category. Amandeep Singh, Akshay Kumar and Manpreet Singh won their respective games in the semi-finals.

If they lose in the finals, three silver medals will be sure to come to India. Amandeep knocked out crowd favourite Aschabov Ibragim in the first round of his semifinal to make a thumping entry into the finals of the 48kg category. Akshay beat Armenian Ognasen Azat, who retired in the third round of the 56kg category semifinal trailing 0:3, according to information received here.

Meanwhile in the 91kg category, Manpreet defeated Khomaster Artur of Germany 10:7. However, there is a possibility that Manpreet might not take part in the final after suffering a cut on his nose in his last four bout. A total of 112 boxers from 18 teams are participating in the tournament.

Yuki Bhambri clears first hurdle of ITF Futures

NEW DELHI: Indian tennis star Yuki Bhambri, Fourth-seed in the ongoing tournament, outperformed Nihal Kapoor 6-2, 6-0 in the first round of the USD 15,000 ITF Futures tournament. Now he would play against Israel's Tal Eros in the second round.

Unseeded Eros declared winner of the first round match against N. Vijay Sundar Prashanth when the latter opted out of the contest. Eros was leading 1-6,7-6(5), 2-1. Yuki had skipped the junior Wimbledon championship and won last week's event to claim his third title on the men's circuit.

Now he is eyeing another title in his hands. Last week's finalist and sixth-seed Rohan Gajjar also booked a second round berth. He advanced when Nikunj Siwach retired while trailing 3-6, 1-2. Gajjar will take on Fariz Mohammed, who also moved to the next level when his opponent Ashwin Vijayragavan retired after losing the first set.

The score was 7-6(0), 1-0 in favour of Mohammed. National champion Ranjeet Virali-Murugesan, seventh seed, rallied to beat Vignesh Peranamallur-Chandrasekhar 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. However, it was all over for Navdeep Singh, who lost 3-6, 6-7 (0) to top-seed Japanese Kento Teakeuchi.

Pawar re-elected MCA President

MUMBAI: Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar re-elected as a President of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for the year 2009-11. He was elected unopposed for no candidate against him.


Its his fourth tenure as a President as he completed eight years on the post. At the MCA AGM in September 2008, the bye-laws of the association were amended to give the President the option to contest for a further four terms of two years each. Meanwhile, union minister for heavy industries Vilasrao Deshmukh on Friday filed his nomination papers for the post of vice-president of MCA.


This move is believed to reduce the power of Pawar in cricket. Besides, Deshmukh, former captain Dilip Vengsarkar, Pravin Barve and Shripad Halbe are also in the fray for the two vice-president posts, the polls for which are scheduled for July 10.

Its too hot to practice for Indian footballers

NEW DELHI: Indian footballers are forced to practice in the evening in Dubai for the Nehru Cup. This time Dubai is experiencing scorching heat and this make the players to be in indoor practice or do swimming or sweating in gym. Together after a much-deserved break, the players are sweating it out at The Sevens, a rugby stadium on the outskirts of Dubai, under the watchful gaze of coach Bob Houghton."The weather is quite hot, in fact hotter than Delhi I guess," said India and East Bengal midfielder Mehrajuddin Wadao.


Central defender Gourmangi Singh shared a similar opinion. "It's very hot here too, we can feel the real heat in the training," said the Churchill Brothers player. However, both agreed facilities were world class at the stadium which hosted the Rugby Sevens World Cup in March. "The facilities are really good. The training field, gym has its class," said Gourmangi. "The facilities are excellent and we are training hard," Mehraj said. The team, which landed in Dubai on Friday, will fly out to Barcelona on July 7 where they will train for a month in their bid to defend the Nehru Cup title.