all-win day for India
New Delhi: Asian silver-medallist Gaurav Solanki (52kg) turned it around remarkably to beat Belarus' Dzmitry Asanau and cap off an all-win day for India at the World Youth Boxing Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria on Thursday. Out-witted in the first three minutes by Asanau, Solanki roared back in the next two rounds to clinch a 2-1 victory on points in his opening bout after getting a bye in the earlier round. Solanki will face Ireland's William Donoghue in the pre-quarterfinals.In the 64kg division, Neeraj Parasar completed a comprehensive win in his opening bout, which ended in the second round itself. The Indian won via the Technical Knockout (TKO) after his Turkmanian opponent Chagrylbeg Pazzyev was forced out of the contest with an injury.
Boxing cwg trial dates decided
New Delhi: The ad-hoc committee set up by the IOA to run some affairs of Indian boxing today decided to hold selection trials for the Commonwealth Games next month after a meeting here. The six-member committee, headed by veteran administrator Tarlochan Singh, met for the first time today and discussed critical issues facing Indian boxers, who are competing under the International Boxing Association's flag right now. "We have decided to select the Commonwealth Games core group of boxers in both the men's and women's category. For that, boxers will be told to assemble in Patiala between May 7 and 11," committee's convener Rakesh Gupta said. "All national medallists in 2012 and international medallists after that besides the current set of campers in Patiala will be eligible to participate. Thereafter the selection trials to pick the final squad would be conducted from May 20 to 23 in Patiala," he said. The Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Glasgow in July.
Hulkenberg denies strike threat
Shanghai: Nico Hulkenberg today denied reports that F1 drivers were threatening to go on strike over unpaid salaries, but he called for quick action to resolve the problem. Hulkenberg said it was "not good for the sport" that drivers were kept waiting for their wages and said discussions were underway to find a solution. Germany's Sport Bild magazine claimed this week that several drivers for smaller teams, including Hulkenberg, who drove for Sauber last year, were still owed unpaid wages dating back to 2013.
Bopanna, Qureshi move to qtrs
Monte Carlo: Indian Davis Cupper Rohan Bopanna and his partner Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi lost only three games against lukas Kubot and Robert lindstedt before advancing to the quarterfinals of the ATP Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, here. The unseeded Indo-Pak pair scored a dominant 6-3 6-0 win over the seventh seed Polish-Swede combo in just 54 minutes in the second round contest of the euro 3,452,415 elite clay court tournament. Bopanna and Qureshi fired five aces as against one by their rivals and converted five of the nine chances apart from saving two on their own serves.
Forensic expert faulted
Pretoria: The prosecutor at the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee Olympian, cross-examined one of the defense's forensic experts today after the judge overseeing the case warned spectators watching the televised proceedings in an adjacent room for their "unruly" behaviour. Judge Thokozile Masipa said she had been made aware that people watching Pistorius' trial on television feeds in a courtroom next to the main trial room were shouting and cheering at times during the proceedings. Agencies