BI president calls for EC meet
Mumbai: Trouble is brewing again in Indian boxing following the decision of Boxing India president to convene an Executive Council meet in Delhi on Thursday without the consent of the secretary general. “The president (Sandeep Jajodia) has convened the EC meeting which is unconstitutional as it’s the secretary general’s job. We don’t know why the president has taken such a step,” said a senior member of the panel here on Wednesday. Jay Kowli was elected as BI’s secretary-general in Mumbai on September 11 last year, along with Jajodia who was elected unopposed, as well as ten vice presidents, treasurer Hemant Kumar Kalita and seven other EC members. The BI elections were supervised by world body AIBA’s legal manager Cliodhna Guy, who flew down from Switzerland to be present at the hustings, and AIBA’s Indian representative Kishen Narsi.
Cilic loses in straight sets
Barcelona: U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic was eliminated in the second round of the Barcelona Open on Wednesday, losing to Victor Estrella of the Dominican Republic 6-4, 6-4. Also, Santiago Giraldo of Colombia beat Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, to reach a third-round meeting against top-seeded Kei Nishikori, setting up a rematch of last year’s final won by the Japanese. Estrella broke Cilic four times on the outdoor red clay, stealing his serve to go ahead 5-4 in the second set, and finishing off the ninth-ranked Croat by holding serve to love. Estrella, who had won only one match in his last five tournaments.
Vansh to be in commonwealth
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir player Vansh Mahajan has been selected to represent the country in the Commonwealth Championships to be held in Cape Town, South Africa in July. Minister for information and Technology, Technical Education, Youth Services & Sports, Imran Raza Ansari said that state player Vansh Mahajan and coach Shotu lal Sharma have been selected from J&K for the event in South Africa.
Mahajan recently clinched a bronze medal in the 11th Cadet National Fencing Championship held at Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, a release said on Wednesday.
Indian women lose to Russia
Chengdu (China): The Indian women suffered a marginal 1.5-2.5 defeat at the hands of Russia as Koneru Humpy let a winning position slip out of hands in the fourth round of World Women’s Team Chess Championship underway here. Humpy outplayed top rated Russian Valentina Gunina but it was sheer bad luck when the Indian blundered after attaining a completely winning position. Gunina pounced on her chance and turned the tables in a span of a few seconds and it was curtains to the aspirations of the team too in this match.
ONGC enter quarters
New Delhi: Fine Spell of bowling by Suhail Sharma 3/30 and Manjeet Singh 3/33 and unbeaten half century by Samarth Singh 64 runs enabled Oil and Natural Gas Corporation beat District Cricket Association, by seven wickets in a one sided encounter to enter the quarter-final of 25th All-India Om Nath Sood Memorial Cricket Tournament being played on Wednesday.
Spartak Moscow punished
Moscow: Spartak Moscow has been fined and its fans barred from two away games after the club lost its appeal against sanctions for a racist banner. The Russian Football Union said Spartak fans displayed “a banner of discriminatory content with a racist symbol,” specifically a Celtic cross, typically used in Russia as a symbol for white supremacist groups. Spartak was fined 200,000 rubles ($3,700) over the incident, which took place during the team’s 1-0 Russian Premier league loss to Arsenal Tula earlier this month.
‘Ukraine prez against boycott’
laussane (Switzerland): The International Olympic Committee says that Ukraine state President Petro Poroshenko does not support boycotts of sports events.last month, Poroshenko suggested to European allies that boycotting football’s 2018 World Cup hosted by Russia “needs to be discussed.” Russia also hosts the two-yearly swimming world championships in Kazan from July 24-Aug. 9. In a statement released on Wednesday, the IOC says “the Ukrainian President said he was ‘against sports boycotts’” in a meeting with its President Thomas Bach. Bach noted in Tuesday’s meeting that “boycotts are incompatible” with a UN resolution supporting autonomy for sports and encouraging “full participation.”