Dutee chand fails test: SAI
New Delhi: Seeking to put an end to the controversy around sprinter Dutee Chand, Sports Authority of India on Wednesday confirmed that the the athlete had failed the test that was conducted to check the level of androgen in her body. “We have conducted such a test on one athlete. For confidentiality protocol, the name cannot be disclosed. She will not be allowed to compete in the female category. The test simply tells us that she has excess androgen in her body and is therefore not eligible to compete in the female category,” SAI said in a statement. Dutee Chand’s last-minute exclusion from the Indian athletics team for the upcoming Glasgow Commonwealth Games yesterday led to speculation over the outcome of the test she reportedly underwent recently in Bangalore. There were speculations that she had undergone a gender test but SAI “reiterated that these test results do not determine her gender”.
lahiri ready for Open challenge
Hoylake: Buoyed by the experience of playing his final practice round with in-form and two-time Major champion, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, Anirban lahiri is all ready to fight it out at the British Open Championship, starting at the Royal liverpool here on Thursday. Kaymer has won the US Open and the Players’ Championships this year. “It was a great round of golf. It was awesome fun. He’s a nice guy and very down to earth. Obviously he is a fantastic player. It was nice to play and get to know him. We spoke a little bit about football (Germany won the World Cup on Sunday) and a bit of this and that. It was a fun day,” said lahiri.
Powell makes modest return to track
lausanne: Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell wasted no time getting back into the thick of the action a day after his doping ban was reduced, running a modest 10.30sec in the 100m at the lucerne meeting on Tuesday. Powell, who along with fellow-Jamaican Sherone Simpson was told on Monday the Court of Arbitration in Sport had cleared him to run again, finished third behind compatriot Julian Forte, who won in 10.23, and Antoine Adams of St Kitts and Nevis, second in 10.29. The former world record holder, who is still the fourth fastest man in history, was suspended for 18 months but the ban was reduced to six months on appeal, leaving him free to compete immediately, the CAS ruled.
Rosberg signs new Mercedes deal
Paris: Nico Rosberg, locked in a titanic duel with teammate lewis Hamilton for this year’s drivers’ title, today signed a new “multi-year” contract with Mercedes, the German F1 team announced. Rosberg, 29, joined Mercedes on the German car giant’s return to F1 in 2010. In five seasons he has won six times, with 17 podiums and eight pole positions. “Mercedes is delighted to announce that it signed a multi-year contract extension with Nico Rosberg on 14 July 2014,” a statement on the team’s official website confirmed.
WC winner Capdevila in isl guwahati team
Guwahati: NorthEast United Football Club, the Guwahati franchise of the upcoming Indian Super league, on Wednesday named former World and European Championships winning Spanish defender Joan Capdevila as its marquee player. Capdevila who marshalled the left back position for la Roja, was a prominent member of the sides that won both the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2008. He has played over 400 games with 36 goals in the Spanish la liga for big guns like Espanyol, Athletico Madrid, Deportivo, and Villarreal. The 36-year-old who played for la liga Club Espanyol last season, said he was excited to join the club after speaking to team co-owner and Bollywood actor John Abraham. The Guwahati franchise, thus became the second team after Atletico de Kolkata to name their marquee player.
Boxing coaches barred from ringside
Mumbai: In what appears to be a case of misunderstanding, India’s boxing coaches at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games have been barred from occupying ringside seats during bouts due to the country’s termination from the International Boxing Association (AIBA). A communication to this effect from the competition organisers was received by the Indian Olympic Association yesterday, a top source who wished to remain incognito said on Wednesday. “The competition organisers seem to have misunderstood the situation (vis-a-vis the termination of Indian Boxing Federation by world boxing body AIBA in March and its replacement and provisional recognition of a new entity Boxing India in May) and have barred the coaches from seconding the boxers during bouts,” the source said.
Neha Tripathi, Ankita Tiwana in joint lead
Bangalore: Kolkata’s Neha Tripathi and Ankita Tiwana of Delhi displayed some fine form to lead the field on the first day of the ninth leg of Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour 2014, here. Both Ankita and Neha finished the first round with an identical score of even par 72, which was also the day’s best score. The INR 5,00,000 event is currently being played at Eagelton Golf Resort and will culminate on Friday.
Germany criticised over ‘gaucho’ dance
Berlin: The German Football Federation is defending Germany’s World Cup-winning players after they performed a routine that poked fun at defeated opponent Argentina. During Tuesday’s raucous Berlin victory party, six players bent double and sang “this is how the gauchos walk,” then jumped up singing “this is how the Germans walk.” The daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said the act hurt Germany’s image as a tolerant nation and a leading Twitter trend in Germany on Wednes day was “#gauchogate.” Federation president Wolfgang Niersbach said the players performed the routine spontaneously and did not intend to mock anyone. Niersbach says he will write to Argentine counterpart Julio Grondona to assure him “the action was in no way meant disrespectfully.”