Serena Williams named Player of the Year

Serena Williams has been named 2009 WTA player of the year and shared doubles team of the year with sister Venus.

Serena, 28, won last year's Australian Open and Wimbledon singles titles, while also reaching the US Open semi-finals and French Open quarter-finals.
"2009 was one of the best seasons of my career and winning the player of the year award for the third time is a great achievement for me," she told the WTA website after the ceremony in Miami.
"It will always be memorable for me not just for my singles accomplishments, but because Venus and I won four titles together and I am thrilled to be sharing the doubles team of the year award with my sister."
Alongside Venus, Serena captured the 2009 US and Australian Open and Wimbledon women's doubles titles.
"I love playing doubles with Serena as we have so much fun on the court together," said Venus.
"At the beginning of the 2009 season Serena and I decided to put a lot of emphasis on doubles and I am thrilled that we were able to achieve so much together."
Belgium's Kim Clijsters took comeback player of the year honours after her US Open title and won her seventh sportsmanship award from the WTA.
US teen Melanie Oudin, a 2009 US Open quarter-finalist, won newcomer of the year, while Belgian Yanina Wickmayer took most improved player honours and American Liezel Huber won her fourth career player service award.
Russian Elena Dementieva won fan favourite singles player of the year in an internet fan vote.

Tendulkar unveils Dungarpur's portrait at CCI

Mumbai: Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar today unveiled Raj Singh Dungarpur`s portrait at the Cricket Club of India here and recalled his long association with the late cricket administrator.

"It`s an emotional moment for me. I was associated with Rajbhai for a long time and today it gives me immense pleasure to see Rajbhai`s portrait here," said the champion batsman after unveiling Dungarpur`s portrait at the main hall of the CCI.

Tendulkar also recalled with gratitude all the help he had received as a young boy from Dungarpur in fulfilling his dream of playing for the country.

"I was very close to him from my schooldays and he was among those instrumental for giving me the opportunity to play for the country. You may have talent but it needs the right platform and Rajbhai was instrumental in providing it," said Tendulkar. 


It was under Dungarpur`s stint as the chief selector that Tendulkar was chosen for the first time to play for India as a member of the team that toured Pakistan in 1989.

The batting great also remembered that Dungarpur was instrumental in sending him to England in 1986 (with the Star Cricket Club managed by former Rajasthan pacer Kailash Gattani).

He also rued that when Test cricket returned to the Brabourne Stadium owned by CCI after a long gap, Dungarpur was not alive to see his dream come true. "It was his dream that Test cricket returned to CCI. We played a Test against Sri Lanka here (in December last) but unfortunately Rajbhai had passed away. But I`m sure he would have watched us play from somewhere," Tendulkar said.

Australia make flying start to world track cycling championships

Melbourne: Cameron Meyer won the men's points race for the second year running as Australia got off to a flying start at the world track cycling championships on Wednesday.
His compatriot Anna Meares earlier won the women's 500 metres time trial, the first medal of the five-day championships. 
Germany won the men's team sprint, ending France's four-year domination of the event, while Britain failed to reach the final in a major upset and had to be content with bronze. 
Sarah Hammer of the United States won the women's individual pursuit in the day's other final, beating Britain's Wendy Houvenaghel. 
Meyer, 22, destroyed the field as he won the 160-lap points race with 70 points, followed by Peter Schep of Netherlands with 33 and Milan Kadlec of Czech Republic with 27. 


The event features 24 riders and points are awarded during the race for the winners of 16 intermediate sprints and also if a rider laps the main field.

Meares won the time trial for the third time to add to the titles she won in Melbourne in 2004 and Palma three years ago.

Titleholder Simona Krupeckaite of Lithuania, racing last, finished second and Olga Panarina of Belarus was third.

Britain, firm favourites to win the men's team sprint, could manage only the third fastest time in qualifying, although they easily beat China for the bronze medal.

Chris Hoy was in the British team, returning to the Ballerup track where he suffered a serious crash 13 months ago which forced him to miss the last world championships. 

Commonwealth Games 2010 expense is Rs 10,000 crore: Verma

Mumbai: Laying to rest speculation that the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010 budget has overshot, CWG Director General V K Verma said that the entire estimated cost of the games was Rs 10,000-crore.

"The (speculated) CWG cost is a myth. The entire cost of the Games is Rs 10,000 crore, which is USD 2 billion as compared to the USD 28 billion spent by China during the (Beijing) Olympics," Verma said addressing a gathering at the India International Sports Summit.

Out of the Rs 10,000-crore while Rs 2,000-crore will be spent on hospitality, the rest of the money would be spent on building infrastructure like flyovers and stadiums, which is there to last, he said.

Verma said that if India expects to host the Olympics in the near future, they should start laying the platform from now. The time has come to show the world that India is capable of hosting a mega event, he said.

Verma, who is also the vice-president of World Badminton Federation, said that India got an opportunity to host the World Badminton Championship, following the popularity of the game in the country and the success the country achieved in the sport.

According to a survey, India is the second largest badminton playing nation with 1.7-million players. India languished at the 27-28 position eight years ago but have now rose to seventh position,he added.

Melbourne GP under pressure to banish boredom

Melbourne: Formula One officials will hope this weekend's Australian Grand Prix can inject life into a championship which stalled on the starting grid at the highly anticipated season-opener in Bahrain a fortnight ago.

Despite the arrival of three new teams and the return of Michael Schumacher

among four world champions at Sakhir, the refuelling ban, intended to discourage drivers from playing safe, instead resulted in a procession decided at qualifying.

The underwhelming spectacle, in which most drivers made just one pitstop to change tyres and were largely unable to overtake, prompted F1 bosses to demand quick rule changes to avoid further snooze-fests from tarnishing the championship race.

Unsurprisingly, Ferrari, whose Spanish driver Fernando Alonso led a victorious one-two finish with Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa at Sakhir, have supported the governing body FIA's cautious response to the complaints.

"We have to wait and see different races and check the situation, without being emotional," double world champion Alonso told local media. "Something that confuses the fans is changing the rules all the time."

The threat of a boring Australian Grand Prix is somewhat diminished by the bumpy street circuit's record of spills and upsets but the qualifying positions remain the most likely pointer to the podium places.

Comeback easy for Clijsters, Henin

No wonder Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin headed back to tennis convinced they could get back into Grand Slam contention.

It didn't take Clijsters long, as she swept to victory in last year's US Open, and Henin will doubtless soon be back to her dominant best, despite her early defeat to Gisela Dulko in last week's BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, according to Mike Staniforth of Press Association Sport.
One look at the current movers and shakers at the top of the women's world rankings suggests that were it not for the timely comebacks of the Belgian pair, the game would be in a state of significant turmoil.
This week's new world number two, behind the conquer-at-will Serena Williams, is Caroline Wozniacki, a talented 19-year-old from Denmark who was on the receiving end of Clijsters' comeback win at Flushing Meadows.
Nobody would dare suggest Wozniacki is not a very good player. Yet aside from her US Open runner-up slot, she boasts six WTA Tour titles - none of which could by any stretch of the imagination be regarded as significant.
Wozniacki seems at pains to distance herself from her ascension to such lofty heights, perhaps mindful of the scorn heaped upon Dinara Safina last year for her long stay at world number one despite failing to break her Grand Slam duck.
Wozniacki said: "The ranking is just a bonus. I think I'm a great player and I've had a lot of good results. It's not easy to beat me. I just think I'm a fighter and I think the ranking speaks for itself."
Jelena Jankovic, who beat Wozniacki in the Indian Wells final, was once regarded one of the fresh new talents the game badly needed. But the Serb boasts one solitary Grand Slam runners-up slot and treads water in the lower reaches of the top 10.

Cheetahs forced into three changes

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske has made three enforced changes to his starting XV to face the Reds on Saturday.

Hennie Daniller (stomach), Lionel Mapoe (shoulder) and Frans Viljoen (jaw) are all injured and have been replaced by Riaan Viljoen, Danwel Demas and Ashley Johnson respectively.
However, the Free State franchise have been boosted by the news that Hendro Scholtz's ankle problem is not as serious as first thought, meaning the flanker is fit to start.
Drotske's team, who were beaten 21-8 by the Stormers at the weekend, are currently 10th on the log with two wins from their five games thus far.
This is their final home game before departing for the away leg of the competition and the coach has outlined the importance of victory.
He said: "I think it is very important that we achieved another before our departure.
"It is vital because of the good momentum it can give us."

Afridi named Pak T20 captain

Shahid Afridi will lead Pakistan in their defence of the ICC World Twenty20 title in the West Indies.

Afridi was among seven players against who the PCB had imposed severe sanctions following an inquiry committee report probing reasons for the team's dismal performance on their tour of Australia earlier this year.
Afridi was caught on camera tampering with the ball during a one-day match in Perth and was banned for two Twenty20 Internationals by the International Cricket Council.
The PCB fined the all-rounder three million rupees (£23,800) and put him on six-months probation for bringing the game and the country into disrepute.
But in a remarkable about-turn he has now been named skipper following a meeting with PCB chairman Ijaz Butt in Lahore.
"After a detailed discussion, the PCB have appointed Shahid Afridi as captain for the World Cup," PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said.
Pakistan had announced their 15-man squad for the World Twenty20 earlier this month but delayed picking a captain to lead the country's title defence in the tournament which begins in the Caribbean from April 30.

NBA: Gasol leads Lakers to victory

Pau Gasol had 28 points and Kobe Bryant added 24 as the Los Angeles Lakers posted a 99-92 win over the Washington Wizards.

The win was the sixth on the bounce for the defending NBA champions and current Western Conference leaders, while defeat for the Wizards was their 11th in a row.
The Atalanta Hawks secured a play-off berth with a 119-114 win over the San Antonio Spurs in overtime.
The Hawks' first win over San Antonio in five years came about despite a season-high 38 points from Spurs star Manu Ginobili.
LeBron James had 15 points and seven assists and JJ Hickson added 13 points and eight rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers posted a comfortable 104-79 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Danny Granger scored 32 points to send the Indiana Pacers on their way to a 121-101 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, while Carl Landry scored 24 points in the Sacramento Kings' 102-89 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kevin Martin led Houston with 28 points as the Rockets edged a tight game with the New York Knicks 116-112. David Lee had 27 points and 20 rebounds in defeat for the Knicks.
Amar'e Stoudemire led Phoenix with 18 points as the Suns defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 93-87.

"Messi the best player in history"

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has joined the chorus - Lionel Messi is the best player ever.

Speaking to Canal + after yet another Messi hat-trick, this time against Real Zaragoza, Laporta said: "He's the best player in the world and the history of football."
"Along with [Johan] Cruyff and [Diego] Maradona he is the best we've seen in Barcelona."
The accolades did not stop there - as the president found himself gushing with praise for the Aregentine.
He's played a great match, he is a football genius and he plays for the team. He is the leader of Barcelona. Also he thinks about his team-mates after he handed the penalty to [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic to score."
Laporta also defended striker Ibrahimovic who has copped some flak after a barren run in front of goal.
"He's a very good player, high quality and although now he isn't getting goals, despite playing very well. We're happy with him and he showed character to score the penalty."

Pacquiao hints at retirement

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao has hinted he could be

ready to retire from boxing.

The 31-year-old recently retained his WBO welterweight title against Ghana's Joshua Clottey with a unanimous points decision in Texas.
The Filipino took on Clottey after an eagerly-anticipated showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr fell through over a dispute about drug-testing procedures.
There are still hopes the duo will meet in the future, but Pacquiao insists his plans do not hinge exclusively on Mayweather.
Indeed, he revealed that he is even contemplating quitting the sport due to the concerns for his health of his mother.
"I might retire," Pacquiao told reporters on his return to the Philippines on Monday. "My mother has been begging me to stop fighting, so we'll talk about this.
"After my fight with (Miguel) Cotto, I asked her to allow me to fight one last time and she agreed. Now, she's asking me again to retire, what will I tell her now?

"She kneels down and cries every time (she asks me to quit). That's a heavy burden when it's my mother doing that.
"It may not reach a point where I will fight Mayweather. I may announce retirement, I will talk with my family about it.
"I came this far in my boxing career without Mayweather, so I see no need to call him out. He needs me to bolster his career. I do not need him, they are the ones who need me.
"I am open to him fighting me anytime he wants to."
Pacquiao is standing for election in his homeland when the country goes to the polls on May 10, but insists his political ambitions would not be a contributing factor in any decision he took.

Lightning strikes in Florida

Padraig Harrington had just moved into a share of second place when the threat of lightning halted play.

Officials had brought forward the tee-off times in the final round at Palm Harbor in the hope of beating the weather, but were then forced to put them back again by 75 minutes before any play was possible.

American Jim Furyk, three clear overnight, had still to hit his opening drive when the suspension came, while Harrington had just birdied the par-five first by splashing out a greenside bunker to within inches of the cup.

The birdie took the Dubliner to eight under par along with defending champion Retief Goosen, Korean KJ Choi, Swede Carl Pettersson and Jeff Maggert, a late replacement for Vijay Singh in the event.

Luke Donald was one further back and had hit only two shots - the first of them into sand - while Justin Rose birdied the first and was on the third green at six under.

Oz now target 2012 Olympics gold

Australian captain Jamie Dwyer is happy team effort reaped

dream-cum-true dividends at the World Cup. 


Australia captain Jamie Dwyer was over the moon after his team won the 2010 hockey World Cup. This is Australia's second win at the world championships and Dwyer was happy that his dream came true. "Very proud of the way the team has played. We did well throughout the tournament and we deserved to win," he said.

The World Cup crown had eluded the Aussies for the past 24 years and Dwyer insists that this team always had it in it to go all the way. "We have been playing well for over a year. We were focused to win the tournament and I am happy we got the result we were looking for," said Dwyer.

The Australian team has made massive improvements ever since Ric Charlesworth took over as the coach and the Australian captain believes he has changed things around for them. "He is great coach. He has achieved a lot of success with the Australian women's team as well. He changed the way we play hockey," he said.

On Charlesworth, Dwyer added: "He does not push you too hard but wants you to realize your maximum potential. He sees things that we, as players sometimes cannot see."

Australia coach Charlesworth, meanwhile, credited his team for putting up a brilliant performance. "The boys played well throughout the tournament. The coaching staff can do a lot of things but at the end of the day it is the players who go out there and perform," he said.

Charlesworth, who became the first person to win the World Cup as a player and as a coach, believes this team has to keep improving and they have set their sights on the 2012 London Olympics.

Sania slips down in WTA rankings

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza slipped eight rungs down to 92nd in the latest Women's Tennis Association

(WTA) rankings issued.

Sania, who is currently nursing a wrist injury, has 745 ranking points in her kitty.In Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings, 

Tennis star Sania Mirza down in WTA rankings
Somdev Devvarman gained a place to be at 120th.Somdev, who is now busy with qualifying rounds of Sony Ericsson Open tennis championships, has a total of 447 points.Prakash Amritraj, the United States-based 

Indian, also climbed one place to 217th with 209 points.In men's doubles individual rankings, Sania mirza
Leander Paes (5610 points) and Mahesh Bhupathi (4930) were static on sixth and eighth positions respectively.

ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2010 - Schedule

ICC Twenty20 World Cup - A Complete Schedule - Fixture - Results

                     

ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2010 Fixtures - Group Matches (Timing: IST - GMT+05:30)
Date / Timing	Teams		Venue	Results
30 Apr (22:30 PM)	New Zealand v Sri Lanka		Guyana
1 May (02:30 AM)	West Indies v Ireland		Guyana
1 May (19:00 PM)	India v Afghanistan		St Lucia
1 May (23:00 PM)	Pakistan v Bangladesh		St Lucia
2 May (19:00 PM)	India v South Africa		St Lucia
2 May (23:00 PM)	Pakistan v Australia		St Lucia
3May (19:00 PM)	Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe		Guyana
3 May (23:00 PM)	West Indies v England		Guyana
4 May (19:00 PM)	New Zealand v Zimbabwe		Guyana
4 May (23:00 PM)	England v Ireland		Guyana
5 May (23:00 PM)	Australia v Bangladesh		Bridgetown, Barbados
5 May (19:00 PM)	South Africa v Afghanistan		Bridgetown, Barbados
Super Eights Fixtures of ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2010 (Timing: IST - GMT+05:30)
6 May (19:00 PM)	Group E – A1 v D2		Bridgetown, Barbados
6 May (23:00 PM)	Group E – C1 v B2		Bridgetown, Barbados
7 May (19:00 PM)	Group F – A2 v C2		Bridgetown, Barbados
7 May (23:00 PM)	Group F – B1 v D1		Bridgetown, Barbados
8 May (19:00 PM)	Group E – C1 v D2		Bridgetown, Barbados
8 May (23:00 PM)	Group E – A1 v B2		Bridgetown, Barbados
9 May (19:00 PM)	Group F – C2 v D1		Bridgetown, Barbados
9 May (23:00 PM)	Group F – B1 v A2		Bridgetown, Barbados
10 May (19:00 PM)	Group E – B2 v D2		St Lucia
10 May (23:00 PM)	Group E – A1 v C1		St Lucia
11 May (22:30 PM)	Group F – B1 v C2		St Lucia
12 May (02:30 AM)	Group F – D1 v A2		St Lucia
Semi Final Fixtures of ICC Twenty20 World Cup (Timing: IST - GMT+05:30)
13 May (21:00 PM)		1st Semi Final – E1 v F2	St Lucia
14 May (21:00 PM)		2nd Semi Final – E2 v F1	St Lucia
ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2010 Final (Timing: IST -  GMT+05:30)
16 May (21:00 PM)		Final - 1st Semi Finalist v 2nd Semi Finalist	Bridgetown, Barbados