Queen’s horse tests positive
london: A race horse owned by Queen Elizabeth II that won the prestigious Gold Cup last year, has tested positive for a banned substance, Buckingham Palace has announced. Estimate, a five-year-old mare trained by Michael Stoute, is one of five horses understood to have recorded a positive test for morphine. The palace said they believed the morphine had come via consumption of a contaminated feed product. The horse saw the Queen become the first reigning monarch to win Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup. In this year’s race, Estimate came second to the winner leading light. The Queen has been informed following an announcement by the British Horseracing Authority last Thursday, according to John Warren, the Queen’s Bloodstock and Racing Advisor. It is not the first time the Queen has been connected with a drugs scandal in horse racing. In 2009 Nicky Henderson was fined 40,000 pounds and banned from making entries for three months after Moonlit Path, a horse in his care owned by the Queen, was injected with a banned blood-clotting agent on the day of a race. If the test is confirmed by the BHA then Estimate will be disqualified from second place in this year’s Gold Cup and the prize money of 80,625 pounds will be forfeited.
Kane suspended from bowling
Dubai: The ICC on Wednesday suspended New Zealand off-spinner Kane Williamson from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect after an independent analysis has found his bowling action to be illegal. The analysis, which was performed at the Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff School of Sport on July 9, revealed that most of Williamson’s deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations. Williamson, who was reported after the Test match against the West Indies in Trinidad last month, can apply for re-assessment after he has modified his bowling action in accordance with clause 2.4 of the Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions.
Ministry takes up turban issue
New Delhi: Sports Ministry on Wednesday expressed “shock and outrage” over the incident of two Sikh players being asked to remove their turbans at the recently-concluded Fiba Asia Cup in China and sought details from the BFI, which has already taken up the matter with the international body. “We have written to them and are awaiting their response. Once we get the response, we will act accordingly,” a Basketball Federation of India spokesperson said. Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the ministry has asked the IOC to issue necessary instructions to international sports federations, so that such incidents are not repeated. “We are shocked and outraged. Wearing a turban does not affect fair play and has not been objected to in international sports championships. We have spoken to BFI and sought a detailed report from them,” Sonowal said in a release. Two Sikh players — Amritpal Singh and Amjyot Singh — were stopped from entering the court minutes before India were to open their campaign against Japan on July 12 at Fiba Asia Cup in Wuhan and were asked to remove their turbans.
Career took off after Perth: SRT
Mumbai: Once again terming it his best Test ton, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar today said his career took flight following the knock of 114 on a bouncy WACA track in 1992, adding that the innings against a hostile Australian attack in Perth gave him immense confidence. “One innings that changed my career or gave shape to my career was in Perth, 1992. Perth, at least at that time, was regarded to be the fastest wicket and the hostility of the Australian fast bowlers was something which was difficult to handle. I was able to score a 100 and I was only 19,” he said during an interaction with school children here. “My career was just starting. I had done well for a couple of years by then but it really took off after that Perth innings because I felt I was ready to take on the world. By no means I was over confident but I became a confident cricketer where any challenge put up against me, I was equipped to face that,” he added. The retired great interacted with Ryan International school children at north western Malad during the launch of ‘Kaspersky Kids Awareness Programme’.
PIl to declare BCCI as Nsb
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said it can still hear the PIl seeking to declare BCCI a national sports body as the apex court is only dealing with the IPl spot-fixing allegations and related subsequent probe. “The issue of declaring BCCI a national sports federation is not before the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the Justice Mukul Mudgal committee is probing the spot-fixing issue,” a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw said. “This court can still decide the prayer that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) be declared a national sport federation as this issue not before the Supreme Court,” it said.
Mahela to end test career at home
Colombo: Sri lanka has shifted the venue of the second Test against Pakistan next month by request to enable star batsman Mahela Jayawardene to bow out of Test cricket at his club ground in Colombo. Sri lanka Cricket in a statement on Wednesday says the request was made by Jayawardene’s Sinhalese Sports Club. The Test was originally scheduled to be at P Sara Oval, also in Colombo, from August 14-18. last week, Jayawardene informed SlC he’ll retire from Test cricket after the Pakistan tour, but has promised to continue playing ODIs. He has played 145 Tests since 1997, scoring 11,506 runs, seventh on the all-time list.
loew to stay on as Germany coach
Frankfurt: World Cup winner Joachim loew will remain the Germany coach through the 2016 European Championship in France. There was speculation loew might step down after Germany lifted its fourth World Cup title with a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the final in Rio de Janeiro 10 days ago, although loew’s contract was extended well before the tournament. “At the moment, I can imagine nothing more beautiful than to continue working with this team, to guide it to the European Championship in France, to develop the team and the individual players further,” loew said in an interview published on Wednesday on the German Football Federation (DFB) website.