Bolt sprinting to secure legacy
New Delhi: Jamaica’s six-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt says his main focus for the remainder of his sprinting career is to secure a legacy as the greatest athlete of all times. Bolt’s disclosure comes ahead of his eagerly anticipated showdown with world-leading American Justin Gatlin and Jamaica’s perennial sub-10 sprinter Asafa Powell. The sprint superstar says his primary focus now is his place in history as he prepares to retire in 2017. “In the past, we (coach Glen Mills) have sometimes focused on the clock and getting records. Other times, it has been on medals. Now it’s all about securing my legacy,” said Bolt. “Someone may come along one day and break one of my records, but to beat my legacy, they have to beat my whole body of work. So the more I can win, the greater that gets, and the harder it will be to overshadow. That’s what’s getting me out of bed now.”
Hewitt still on bail
Pretoria: A South African judge on Tuesday extended the bail of retired doubles tennis champion Bob Hewitt, who intends to appeal his conviction for raping and sexually assaulting minors in the 1980s and 1990s. Hewitt, who was sentenced to six years in prison on Monday, will be confined to his home until a June 19 hearing on whether he can appeal his conviction and sentence, Judge Bert Bam ruled. The postponement is to allow Hewitt’s new lawyer, Johann Engelbrecht, to review the case records, Bam said. Hewitt’s defense team wants the matter to be heard in South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal and will petition the chief justice if Bam refuses their application, said Alwyn Griebenow, one of Hewitt’s attorneys. Australian-born Hewitt, 75, has denied all the charges. He can only leave his home on a small citrus farm in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province for medical appointments.
Mensah banned for 4 months
laussane: Ghana defender Jonathan Mensah has been banned for four months by FIFA in a breach-of-contract case. The Court of Arbitration for Sport said its appeal panel upheld Mensah’s suspension imposed by FIFA last July in a case dating to 2011. He is also liable for compensation to former club Udinese. However, FIFA said Tuesday that Mensah - who played at the past two World Cup tournaments - is eligible to play for Ghana next month. It hosts Mauritius in the opening match of a 2017 African Cup of Nations qualifying group. FIFA judged that Mensah was still contracted to Udinese when he joined French club Evian Thonon Gaillard four years ago claiming to be a free agent. Under FIFA rules, Mensah will serve about one month of the ban until the French season ends. The sanction is not spent during the offseason and does not apply to national team friendlies or qualifiers.
Indians assured of two medals
Taipei: Indian boxers put up a reasonably impressive show in the preliminary rounds of the AIBA Women’s Junior World Championships with two of them assuring the country of at least bronze by entering the semi-finals, even as four others advanced to the quarterfinals here on Tuesday. While Soniya Sakshi (48kg) and Niharika Gonnella (70kg) made the last-four stage in contrasting fashion, Savita (50kg), Mandeep Kaur (52kg), Nisha (60kg) and Naganika (+80kg) entered the quarterfinals of the event. Sakshi defeated Kazakhstan’s Serikova Zhanna 3-0 in her quarterfinal bout, while Niharika was handed a bye in the medal round. likewise, Savita, Mandeep, Naganika and Nisha also got direct entry into the last-eight stage. Soniya, on the other hand, defeated Kazakhstan’s Abilkhan Sandugash 3-0 in her pre-quarter bout. However, in the 57kg category, Ani lama lost to Russia’s Vorontsova liudmila, going down via Technical Knockout in the second round.
Govt approves NRAI’s proposal
New Delhi: The government has approved the National Rifle Association of India’s (NRAI) proposal to hire five specialised coaches for the junior teams, providing a fillip to the country’s upcoming shooters. The proposal included the appointment of two coaches for shotgun, two for rifle and one for pistol. With a number of international tournaments lined up in the coming months, the NRAI is keen on having proven coaches for its junior shooters. “The government has approved the proposal for recruiting the coaches for the junior teams and the selection will be done soon,” NRAI secretary Rajiv Bhatia said on Tuesday. The junior shooters have been delivering the goods at international events and the NRAI wants to give them the best of coaching.