KOLKATA, March 3: For India’s only individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, the 2008 Bejing Games is history as he has now set his sights on this year’s quadrennial extravanganza in London.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a promotional programme at Udayan in Barrackpore on the outskirts of the city, Bindra said India’s prospects in shooting looked bright this time around.

“Past is history, everybody has forgotten it. I know past was great but it does not help me now. I can’t replicate my past. I am living in the present. We have the highest participation this time. Each individual is a champion and I am hoping for the best,” the gold medal winner in the 10-metre air rifle event in the Beijing Games said of India’s 11-member contingent.

Bindra said it would be a first time experience in London and he would go there next month to assess the conditions.

The four-time Olympic further said that the Abhinav Bindra Foundation, came up in 2009, was going in the right direction.

“Medal is something you hang on the wall. It’s an outcome of a journey, a struggle. There is a lot of things behind winning a medal. My foundation is focusing on these things. I’ve started the foundation to develop the sport at the grass root level which is a neglected area. I am really passionate about the sport,” he said, while launching an Olympic theme song, “Khelo Bharat Khelo” in association with British high commission.

The event is part of a four-leg Great British Sports Festival launched in the run up to the Olympics.

From here it will go to Mumbai (March 7), Chennai (March 13-16) and conclude in Delhi with an Olympics send-off on March 18, with 100 days to go for London 2012. PTI

Dubai, March 3: Mahesh Bhuapthi and Rohan Bopanna won their first title together after pipping the Polish pair of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski in the summit clash if the ATP Dubai Open on Saturday.

Bhupathi and Bopanna, seeded fourth, secured a 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 win after facing stiff resistance from their rivals in the final of the USD 1,700,475 hard court event.

The two Indians, planning to play in Olympics together, had paired as a team at the start of the 2012 season and had reached the semifinals of two tournaments before finally winning a title on Saturday.

It is the fourth Dubai title for Bhupathi, having lifted the trophy in 1998 with Leander Paes, in 2004 with Fabrice Santoro and in 2008 with Mark Knowles.

For Bopanna, it is sixth ATP title of his career. Leander Paes was also competing in the event but he and Janko Tipsarevic had lost 4-6, 5-7 to second seeds Robert Lindstedt and Horia Teacu in the opening round.

Paes has chosen Radek Stepanek as his partner for the 2012 season and won the Australian Open with him.

However, he had started the season with Tipsarevic by winning the Chennai Open in January. PTI

From a Correspondent

SHILLONG, March 2: Shillong’s most talked about football team after Lajong these days is the Royal Wahingdoh Football Club (RWFC) which is steadily climbing up the rung of the ladder in competing with other teams to make it to the I-League. Taking the opportunity to give the team a blessing on their challenge in the second division, the Shillong Press Club (SPC) today held a special function to felicitate the team which is scheduled to leave for Siliguri tomorrow.

Speaking on the occasion, Coach Carlton Chapman said, “We are taking every match seriously and the team knows where they are and what they are.”

Asked how he feels the challenge for the team will be this time, Chapman said, “All the other teams are tough. So we are prepared for it.”

The team’s manager Raynold Nongkynrih said, “Since our motto is ‘dare to dream,’ we will work hard to achieve that dream.”

RWFC will be playing six matches beginning March 8, at the Kanchanjunga Stadium Siliguri and another six in Gangtok Sikkim.

“We will be playing a total of twelve matches on this league but this year the set up is a little different as all of the players will be playing, unlike last year which we suffered due to many injuries. To prevent unnecessary injuries and keep the boys in shape, a traditional masseur with all traditional medicines will be travelling with the team, as well as a cook. We pray to god that we will get royal wins.” Chapman concluded.

ASPL begins

From a Correspondent

Diphu, March 3: Karbi Anglong’s premier football club Morning Star FC defeated PHE RC of Silchar by 5-0 in the opening match of 4th Airtel Assam State Premiere League 2012 held in Diphu KASA stadium ground today. In the first half of the match, Augustine O Ekuma, Lachit Borah, K Soumen Singh scored one goal each. Then in the second half, Benjamin Hanse and Dhananjay Boro scored one goal each.

“MSFC recorded its first victory in the opening match come at the cost of sheer hardwork and strategic planning. And the entire officials involve with the team management has been very encouraging which ultimately paid off today by becoming the first team to enter the second of the APL,” says team manager George Rongpi after the match.

Tomorrow Assam Police Blues will take on Gauhati Town Club.

BRISBANE, March 3: Outplayed on the field and dogged by persistent reports of a rift in the team, the demoralised and jaded Indian cricketers left for home on Saturday after the worst tour of Australia in the last 45 years.

As soon as Sri Lanka pipped Australia at the post in Melbourne on Friday, the Indian players started making their reservation plans to return home after a long and gruelling tour during which most of the players struggled to perform.

The players with bases in Mumbai and south India - Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Rohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin and the entire support staff - took a morning flight to Singapore where they would board respective connecting flights to Mumbai and Chennai.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Praveen Kumar and Rahul Sharma left Brisbane this afternoon, again for Singapore where they would take the flight to Delhi.

Irfan Pathan and Parthiv Patel, with bases in Gujarat, will leave for home on Sunday.

The Indians were not exactly glued in front of their TV screens on Friday to watch the outcome of the Australia-Sri Lanka match which the latter won by nine runs in the final over.

The Indians were whitewashed 0-4 in the Test series and won just three matches, tied one and lost four during the subsequent triseries which had Sri Lanka and Australia as the two other teams. PTI

Melbourne, March 3 : Former Australia cricket captain Ian Chappell said India's batting great Sachin Tendulkar has to take a look at himself and ask if he is playing the game for the right reason.

“What could have been a glorious farewell tour of Australia for Sachin Tendulkar has turned into an ongoing tale of missed opportunities, leading to frustration all round,” Chappell wrote in The Daily Telegraph.

Chappell said with Tendulkar blaming others for his failure to get the elusive 100th international century, it was high time for him to look at himself.

“When a player of Tendulkar’s ability starts blaming others for his failure to deliver, it was time he asked himself: ‘Am I playing this game for the right reason?’” said the legendary cricketer.

Chappell said there was only one reason to play cricket - to help team win matches.

“If a player gives everything and the team loses there is no shame in that, but when individual statistics start to overshadow the team result then clearly there is a problem. That has been a huge hurdle for India to overcome all summer - Tendulkar's search for his 100th century has become a burden on the team as well as the player,” he said.

Chappell said Tendulkar looked vulnerable when he played conservatively.

"The strange part about this saga of missed opportunities is that Tendulkar started the tour in really good form. In both the MCG and SCG Tests, he looked good when playing his shots and it was only as he either neared a break in play or his landmark hundred that he began to clam up.

"When he was playing his shots he looked like the Tendulkar of old, but when he batted conservatively he looked vulnerable," he said. IANS

Melbourne, March 3: Dumped from the one-day squad, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said it might actually help him prolong his Test career as he would be able to maintain the highest fitness levels.

The two-time World Cup winning captain was axed after a string of low scores in the ongoing tri-series against Sri Lanka and India.

Ponting hoped that the selectors’ decision would positively impact his Test career.

“Yeah it might extend it. I can`t see why it will be a negative on my Test cricket,” Ponting told `The Daily Telegraph`.

 “It will give me a chance to really freshen up, be fit for every game I play. Be as fit and as strong as I have ever been. I am pleased with my longevity, you cherish every moment you have and get every last bit out of yourself.

“The next lot of cricket we will play will be in the Caribbean then we will have strong opposition sides in South Africa and an Ashes series not long after that,” he added.

Asked whether he expects to be called back at some point to the one-day squad, Ponting said, “I am 37 so I am not sure they will turn back to me unless they have 10 injuries out of no where. I am fine with that.” PTI 

AUCKLAND, March 3: Pacer Marchant de Lange picked up four wickets on his one-day international debut as South Africa completed a 3-0 clean sweep against New Zealand with a five-wicket victory in the third and final ODI on Saturday.

South Africa’s bowlers bundled out New Zealand for 206 in 47 overs after the visitors had won the toss and opted to bowl in wet and windy conditions at Eden Park.

Hashim Amla, who made 92 in the last ODI in Napier on Wednesday, continued his impressive form by scoring 76 as South Africa reached their target with 40 deliveries to spare.

The stylish right-hander, who was dropped on 30 by Nathan McCullum off Kyle Mills, added 80 runs for the first wicket with makeshift opener Wayne Parnell (27) and 58 runs with Albie Morkel (41) for the second to anchor the chase.

Amla hit seven sublime boundaries in his knock before he mistimed a pull shot to be caught by New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, giving seamer Kyle Mills his 200th wicket in ODIs.

The visitors, who had also won the preceding three-match Twenty20 series 2-1, lost some wickets after Amla’s dismissal but it was not enough for New Zealand to post an unlikely win.

South Africa pacers Dale Steyn and Lonwabo Tsotsobe pegged New Zealand back with some hostile fast bowling at the start and the hosts struggled for momentum from there on.

The 21-year-old de Lange, who made his Test debut last December against Sri Lanka, also extracted good pace and bounce from the track as New Zealand lost wickets at regular intervals to be bundled out with three overs left in their innings.

The 55-run stand between James Franklin (36) and debutant Colin de Grandhomme (36) for the fifth wicket was the only half-century partnership in the New Zealand innings.

De Grandhomme, who hit three sixes and a four in his 36-ball knock, and Kane Williamson were run after some athletic fielding by South Africa while left-arm spinner Robin Peterson lopped off the tail with two wickets at the end.

The three-Test series between the two sides begin in Dunedin on Wednesday. Reuters

Delray Beach, March 3: Andy Roddick had three match points to beat Kevin Anderson on Friday, but could not convert any and the South African won through to the semifinals of the Delray Beach International Series.

Seventh-seeded Anderson won 2-6, 7-6 (9), 6-4 to set up a semifinal against another big-serving American, John Isner.

“There’s not often I can look back at my career and say a serve lost me the match,” Roddick said. “But, today, that was the case. I’ve made a career of getting my first serves in.”

Isner advanced with a solid 6-3, 6-2 victory over No. 8 seed Bernard Tomic of Australia. On the other half of the draw, Dudi Sela of Israel progressed to a rare semifinal berth by beating Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-0, and will face Australian qualifier Marinko Matosevic, who finished strongly to beat Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Despite the loss, Roddick feels his game is getting into better shape after dealing with a right hamstring and right ankle injury this season.

“I played OK this week,” Roddick said. “I returned a little bit better. I flowed a little bit better than a week ago. It’s just a matter of getting my percentage better on my serve.”

On a day where the swirling wind annoyed all players, Isner put up nine aces and won four of his nine service games at love in the 56-minute match.

“I played well right from the get-go,” Isner said. “When he has time, that’s when he gets comfortable. So I wanted to keep the points short, which is what I want to do every match.

The 75th-ranked Sela reached his first ATP World Tour semifinal since the 2010 Chennai tournament.

Sela was serving for the match in the second set and was up 30-0 but lost the next four points to send the second set into a tiebreaker which Kohlschreiber won. The Israeli was more ruthless in the third set, losing only four points in his three service games. Agencies

PARIS, March 3: Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery was France’s best-paid sportsperson in 2011, according to a study set to be published by weekly magazine L’Equipe Mag on Saturday. Ribery’s gross annual income of 11.4 million euros ($15m) meant that he succeeded former France teammate Thierry Henry, who had occupied the position for the previous four years. Ribery’s 833,000 euros monthly salary is believed to make him the best-paid player in the German Bundesliga.

The 28-year-old leads the league table of French sport’s highest earners ahead of San Antonio Spurs basketball player Tony Parker (11.2m euros in 2011) and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema (11m euros). Agencies

PALM BEACH GARDENS, March 3: Justin Rose carved out another 4-under 66 to share the lead with Tom Gillis in the Honda Classic on Friday.

Three birdies over the last five holes also kept Rory McIlroy in the chase for No. 1 in the world.

“Still a lot of golf left - 36 holes,” McIlroy said after a 67 in the breezy, balmy afternoon. “I just need to keep doing the same things, try to drive the ball in the fairway and give myself loads of opportunities, and try and take a few. Because you don’t need to make tons of birdies out here.”

Maybe not, but that was the recipe for Brian Harman, who shattered the course record by three shots and even flirted with golf’s magic number before he had to settle for par on the 543-yard closing hole for a 61.

Birdies also helped Tiger Woods, though not enough to offset a tee shot into the water on the par-3 fifth for a double bogey in his round of 68 that put him seven shots out of the lead.

Rose made five birdies in a nine-hole span in the middle of his round and was at 10 under until back-to-back bogeys, an example of how this course can stop momentum quickly. He wound up at 8-under 132 with Gillis, a 43-year-old journeyman who had a 64 and is atop the leaderboard for the first time after any round of a U.S. PGA Tour event.

“You can’t play 36 holes around here and expect to come away without any bruises at all,” Rose said.

McIlroy, who would have to win the Honda Classic to replace Luke Donald atop the world ranking, was at 7 under along with Dicky Pride, who birdied his last hole for a 67.

Harman, Jimmy Walker (67) and Monday qualifier Vaughn Taylor (66) were another shot back. AP

Bagshot, March 3: FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke made a scathing attack on Brazil’s preparations for the 2014 World Cup on Friday, saying “not a lot is moving” and organisers needed “a kick up the backside”.

Valcke, who has continually raised concerns about the tournament, said time was running out and there was no “Plan B” in place.

However, Brazil’s sports minister Aldo Rebelo hit back, telling reporters in Brazil that his priority was for native Indians and low-income families to be able to go to matches, while FIFA wanted to make a profit.

Soccer‘s ruling body is particularly concerned about transport and accommodation issues and the sluggish movement through Brazilian bureaucracy of World Cup laws relating to the sale of alcohol is also worrying FIFA.

“I don’t understand why things are not moving,” Valcke told reporters. “The stadiums are not on schedule any longer - and why are a lot of things late?”

“The concern is nothing is made or prepared to receive so many people. I am sorry to say but things are not working in Brazil. You expect more support,” added Valcke who is in England for the annual meeting of the International Football Association Board, FIFA`s law-making body.

“We should have received these documents signed by 2007 and we are in 2012. You have to push yourself, get a kick up the backside and just deliver this World Cup.”

Brazil was awarded the World Cup in 2007 although the decision had been on the cards since 2003 when the other nine South American federations agreed to support the country as their only candidate.

That decision was taken after the tournament had been ear-marked for the South America under FIFA’s short-lived rotation system.

Valcke said the tournament would go ahead but warned the fans could suffer.

“There are not enough hotels,” he added.

“You have more than enough in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro but if you think about Manaus you need more.”

“Let`s say in Salvador you have England v Holland and you have 12 percent of the stadium with English fans and 12 percent Dutch - that`s 24 percent of 60,000 fans. Where are they all going to stay?”

“The city is nice but the way to get to the stadium and all the organisation of transportation has to be improved.”

FIFA had initially planned to base teams in just one part of Brazil to minimise travel but organisers explained matches had to be spread across the country. Valcke said that made for extra demands.

“We made the decision to move the teams and it means we were criticised,” said FIFA’s general secretary.

“If you follow one team you will have to fly 8,000 km. We did it at the request of Brazil. Having supported the decision we have to ensure the fans and the media ... will be able to follow their team.”

Valcke also said it appeared Brazil were more concerned with winning the World Cup than organising a good tournament.

“Our concern is nothing is made or prepared to receive so many people because the world wants to go to Brazil,” he added. “That`s the big difference between South Africa in 2010 and Brazil. The people don’t care about security, they don’t care about the weather - it’s amazing.”

“In South Africa it was winter, it was dark. In Brazil the weather will be perfect. But I can tell you from the other side of the organisation it is not exactly that.”

On his last trip to the country in January, Valcke repeated his previous call for a quick resolution to the issue of World Cup laws.

FIFA expressed concern over alcohol-selling laws in stadiums and demands for lower ticket prices for students and pensioners. Agencies

Lisbon, March 3 : Porto beat Benfica 3-2 in the Portuguese Liga 21st round to leapfrog their opponents into first place with a three point lead at the top of table.

Porto and Benfica started the match on Friday in first place both with 49 points, with the same number of victories, ties and defeats, and having scored the same number of goals, 47. The only difference was that Benfica allowed 16 goals and Porto only 13, Xinhua reported.

Porto made all the early running and got the advantage with an early goal. In the seventh minute, Brazilian forward Hulk put his name on the score-sheet a fantastic shot from outside the box.

Benfica came back strongly and scored the equalizer in the 41st minute. After a corner, Uruguayan Maxi Pereira shot from outside the box, the ball hit his teammate Witsel and the rebound came to Paraguayan Cardozo who scored.

In the first minute of the second half Cardoso scored his second goal. On a free kick by Pablo Aimar, the Paraguayan player was left free by the Porto defenders and scored with a header.

Porto’s equalizer came in the 67th minute from a fast counter-attacking move by Colombian player James Rodrigues. In the 87th minute, Porto defender Maicon scored the third goal from a free kick. IANS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 : Eleni Daniilidou of Greece defeated Australia’s Olivia Rogowska 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 on Saturday to move into the Malaysian Open semifinals.Former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic from Serbia also advanced after her opponent, Japan’s sixth-seeded Ayumi Morita, pulled out because of a shoulder injury at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort.

Daniilidou will have only a few hours of rest before she faces Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei in the semifinals. Second-seeded Jankovic, currently ranked 14th, will play No. 5 seed Petra Martic of Croatia.

The tournament has been hit by injuries and rain delays. Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland withdrew Friday due to an elbow injury. AP

ACAPULCO, March 3: Spaniard Fernando Verdasco defeated Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 6-3, 6-3 on Friday to reach the Mexican Open final. The eighth-seeded Verdasco didn’t allow a single break opportunity to Wawrinka, cruising to the victory at The Fairmont Acapulco Princess. Wawrinka saved two match points while serving in the penultimate game, but Verdasco served out the match. In the women’s tournament, No. 3 seed Sara Errani eliminated top-seeded Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-1 in an all-Italian semifinal. Errani broke twice in each set. AP

Patna, March 3: India defeated Chinese Taipei in a preliminary match of Pool ‘A’ to virtually seal their berth in the quarter-finals of the first Women‘s World Cup Kabaddi Championship at the Patalipura sports complex indoor hall here on Friday.

India vanquished the Chinese Taipei eves 43-18 after leading their opponents 26-08 in the first half.

India will take on Mexico in their third and final preliminary league match tomorrow.

In other matches, Iran defeated Nepal 53-20 in a Pool ‘D’ preliminary match in the morning session before overcoming US 50-38 in their second match of the day.

In Pool ‘C‘ Bangladesh beat Malaysia 70-30 and registered their second win of the day against Italy 85-10.

 Sri Lanka, also in Pool ‘C’, outclassed Italy 73-13 in the first match in the morning session before defeating Malaysia 74-11 in another match in the evening session.

In Pool ‘B’, Thailand defeated Turkmenistan 64-19 and later thumped Canada 44-14 in their second match. Japan, placed in Pool ‘D’, won their both matches against Canada and Turkmenistan 29-8 and 51-10 respectively.

Indonesia won their matches against the US and Nepal 78-31 and 60-30 in Pool ‘D’.

In other preliminary matches, the Chinese Taipei defeated Mexico 88-21 in a lop-sides Group ‘A‘, and South Korea outclassed Mexico 72-14 in another preliminary match of the same group. PTI 

Lausanne, March 3: A total of six cities from Europe and Latin America have submitted applications to bid for the third edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2018, said the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The six cities bidding to host the 2018 YOG are Argentina‘s capital Buenos Aires, Colombia‘s Medellin, British city Glasgow, Mexico‘s Guadalajara, Dutch city Rotterdam and Poznan of Poland.

“We are delighted with the high level of interest shown in hosting the 3rd Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2018,” said IOC president Jacques Rogge on the IOC website on Friday.

“It is a shining endorsement of just how successful of the inaugural summer (Singapore 2010) and winter (Innsbruck 2012) editions were and reflects how the popularity, excitement and awareness surrounding the YOG continue to build at an impressive pace.”

The candidate cities are expected to submit the signed 2018 YOG Candidature Procedure before March 15, 2012. The IOC executive board will select a shortlist of candidates in February 2013, while the host city will be chosen in July 2013. The second edition of summer YOG will be held in Nanjing, China in 2014.IANS