Shooters made to wait for hours
New Delhi: A group of national shooters endured a harrowing time at the Delhi Airport as they had to wait for more than 10 hours to get customs clearance for their guns and ammunition, prompting Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra to ask if cricketers would ever face such treatment. The Indian shooters were returning from Cyprus after competing in the World Cup, where they won seven medals. The 13-member team included the likes of Chain Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Heena Sidhu and Kynan Chenai. They arrived at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport via different flights between 4.30 and 5 am. Of these, eight had come from Czech Republic and five from Doha. "Saddened to hear that the National Shooting Team is detained at The IGI Airport with the customs refusing to clear their guns," Bindra tweeted. Bindra said the official team manager left the athletes "to fend for themselves". "They are our country's ambassadors and should not be treated like this. Would this ever happen to our cricket teamIJ," he asked. The shooters were asked to wait by the customs officials to complete formalities and were allowed to leave around 2.30 pm, the official sources said.
Bouchard beats Sharapova
Madrid: Eugenie Bouchard matched her fighting talk with some thrilling tennis to shock Maria Sharapova 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in the second round of the Madrid Open. Bouchard called Sharapova "a cheater" last week and was also critical of the Russian's welcome back to the sport after a 15-month doping ban with a series of wildcards for big events. Bouchard battled back from 4-2 down to claim a topsy-turvy first set and she edged a marathon 11th game before serving it out for just her 2nd set in five meetings with Sharapova. In the decisive set, Bouchard held her nerve when serving for the match at 5-4 as she saw off two break points and an unfortunate let cord on her first match point. Bouchard will face Angelique Kerber.
NBA opens its first academy in India
Greater Noida: The National Basketball Association (NBA) on Tuesday opened its first academy in India, confident that it will help the sport grow in the country. An elite basketball training center at Jaypee Greens Integrated Sports Complex here was officially thrown open for the upcoming male and female talents of the country. Twenty-one elite male prospects, who were selected following a three-month nationwide talent search, will receive scholarships and training at NBA Academy India. Tuesday's launch was attended by NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum and NBA India Managing Director Yannick Colaco. NBA Academy India will employ a holistic, 360-degree approach to player development and will also focus on education, leadership, character development and life skills.