No Indian GP’s return in 2015
New Delhi: Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone on Thursday asserted that the troubled Indian Grand Prix has run out of time for a 2015 return and its organisers must settle the contractual obligations for a possible comeback in 2016. Ecclestone was hoping the race organisers, Jaypee Group, will sort out the five-year contract in time for a return next year but that has not happened yet, leaving the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) owners too little time to get the event back on track. Usually, the FIA World Motor Sport Council ratifies the next season’s calendar in September and the final one in December. “It is too late for 2015. We (Formula One Management and Jaypee) are looking at 2016 now and hopefully the tax issues in India will also be sorted out by then. The organisers also need to settle the existing contract before we get back. I am expecting to see them next week,” Ecclestone said.
Patna beat Bengal in Pkl
Jaipur: Patna Pirates rode on Sandeep Narwal’s fine display to beat Bengal Warriors 36-31 in a Pro Kabaddi league match and climb up to the second position in the team standings. The Pirates took some time to assert its authority as both the teams were neck and neck but a few raids helped Patna Pirates take a 19-13 lead at the breather. The Patna outfit consolidated its position slowly and was well placed at 36-25 at one stage. Ravi Dalal of Patna Pirates was declared Best Raider while his teammates Ravi Kumar and Sandeep Narwal were declared Best Defender and man of the match respectively.
Tough draw for teams
New Delhi: The Indian men’s U-23 national team will be playing Jordan and UAE in Group G while the women’s senior national team have been placed in Group A with hosts South Korea, Thailand and Maldives in the upcoming Incheon Asian Games. The draw that was released has 29 nations in the men’s event where the teams have been divided into eight groups with five groups of four and three groups of three. The women’s competition on the other hand has 11 teams with two groups of four and one group of three countries. Two-time Asian Games gold medal winners India drew with UAE in the 2012 AFC U-22 Qualifiers in Muscat with a late equaliser from Dempo winger Romeo Fernandes.
BFI criticises fiba asia
New Delhi: The Basketball Federation of India on Thursday condemned FIBA Asia for forcing Sikh player Anmol Singh to remove his ‘Patka’ during an Under-18 Championship match in Doha, saying that the “unwarranted action” was discriminatory and humiliating. “The Basketball Federation of India strongly condemns the unwarranted action of Technical Commission of FIBA Asia taken against Anmol Singh and asks them to stop discrimination against Sikh athletes representing Indian Basketball teams at international level immediately,” the BFI said in a statement.
HI inducts Madhya Pradesh
New Delhi: Hockey India added its 23rd associate member by welcoming on board Hockey Madhya Pradesh under its wings. Prior to being the associate member of Hockey India, Hockey Madhya Pradesh was known as Madhya Pradesh Hockey Association, HI said in a statement.
Abhijeet Gupta wins
Abu Dhabi: Grandmaster and former world junior champion Abhijeet Gupta got off to a fine start, scoring a hard-fought win over Zendan Al-Zendani of Yemen in the first round of Abu Dhabi Masters here. The first round started with a last minute pairing change owing to a few withdrawals but this did not deter most of the Indians from cruising to easy victories in the opener. The lone shocker came from highly regarded Grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly who went down to Iranian girl Mitra Hejazipour after enjoying a commanding position for the major part of the game.
Sitwala, Parikh fire in BPl
Mumbai: World team championship silver medallist Dhruv Sitwala and Australian Open bronze winner Siddharth Parikh fired a flurry of century breaks for their respective teams in the inaugural Videocon Billiards Premier league here. Sitwala, a twice world runner-up, was the toast of MB’s Shooters’ thrilling 3-2 win over SPG Billiards Punters who squandered a 2-0 advantage and lost. Sitwala initiated his team’s brilliant recovery when he hit 138 and 103 against Sanket Bapat and later overcame world team gold medallist Ashok Shandilya with a fine, unfinished 156 in the decider after Amit Sapru snatched the crucial fourth tie for Shooters.