New Delhi, June 28: Two months before the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games, a 16-year-old Indian jabbed, hooked and punched his way to silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Shiva Thapa is now going to be the country’s youngest boxer to compete at the Olympics in London.

Thapa himself didn‘t imagine that things could happen so fast. The Guwahati-born pugilist had set his sights at the Rio Games four years from now and he couldn‘t believe it when he made it to London by winning the Asian qualifiers two months ago in the 56 kg category. Overnight he is also seen as a potential medal winner.

“I never thought it (Olympics) could come for me so soon. My parents and I were looking at Rio 2016. Now that I have qualified, I am putting everything in my effort to win a medal. Even when I won the silver in Singapore, the ultimate goal was to do well at the Olympics,” Thapa told IANS from Dublin, where he is training with six other London-bound boxers and other promising boxers from Ireland, Tunisia and Russia.

“The weather is similar to what it is expected to be in London. The timing of the trip could not have been better as we are practicing with some of our potential rivals, said the second Assamese to qualify for London, the other being archer Jayanta Talukdar, and fourth Olympian from the state after footballer Talimeren Ao and shuttler Deepankar Bhattacharjee.

Thapa admits his rise has been rapid since the Youth Olympic Games. As a child, he inherited karate from his instructor father before watching Mike Tyson’s bouts glued him to boxing. He learnt the basics of the sport in Guwahati, but his career took off in 2005 when he moved to the Army Institute of Sports, Pune. It was only last year that he was called to attend the senior camp in Patiala.

“The discipline that you need as a sportsperson was something I learnt in Pune. I owe a lot to the Army upbringing during those formative years.”

The bronze medallist at the 2009 Junior World Championships still gushes remembering the first time he entered the training hall at the National Institute of Sports. IANS

DONETSK, June 28: Defending champions Spain beat Portugal 4-2 on penalties after their Euro 2012 semifinal finished 0-0 after extra-time here on Wednesday.

After an attritional game finished 0-0 following extra time, Cesc Fabregas swept home the winning spot-kick to put Spain in the final.

Xabi Alonso and Joao Moutinho both saw their opening penalties saved, but Portugal blinked first when Zenit Saint-Petersburg centre-back Bruno Alves slammed his side’s fourth penalty against the crossbar.

Fabregas stepped up and, just as he had done in the penalty shootout win over Italy in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals, the Barcelona man held his nerve, steering the ball into the bottom-left corner to send Portugal home.

Reigning world and European champions Spain, who are bidding to become the first team in history to win three major competitions in a row, will face either Italy or Germany in Sunday’s final in Kiev.

It was a deeply disappointing end to the tournament for Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who had threatened to fire his side into only their second major final but who did not even get a chance to have his say in the shoot-out.

A surprise inclusion in Spain’s starting line-up, Alvaro Negredo was at the source of the game’s first chance, with Alvaro Arbeloa side-footing over after the Sevilla striker was crowded out in the Portuguese area.

Portugal’s match-winner against both the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, Ronaldo was a spectator in the first 10 minutes, but gradually his influence grew.

After fluffing a free-kick into the base of the wall from a tight angle on the left, he lashed a half-volley high over the crossbar from the edge of the area and then drilled a left-shot narrowly wide of the right-hand post.

As in the quarter-final win against France, Spain struggled to find holes in their opponent’s defence, and it was a surprise to see Alonso club a long ball forward in the 29th minute.

It produced a sight of goal, however, with Andres Iniesta bending a shot narrowly over the bar after Negredo had chased down Alonso’s pass, held off Fabio Coentrao, and worked the ball back to the edge of the area.

The snap in Portugal’s tackles was helping them establish a presence in the Spanish half and with Negredo failing to provide enough of an outlet for Spain, it was no surprise to see him replaced by Fabregas early in the second half.

Del Bosque introduced Jesus Navas in place of David Silva, before Xavi worked Rui Patricio for the first time in the match with a speculative effort that found the Portugal goalkeeper’s midriff.

Ronaldo had a fine opportunity to snatch a winner in the last minute of normal time but he could only shoot over from Raul Meireles’ pass, prompting mocking cries of ‘Messi! Messi!’ from the Spain fans.

A succession of late flare-ups gave the game added spice going into extra time, and after a watchful opening, Spain finally began to show.

Shortly before half-time in the extra period, Iniesta drew the first real save of note from Patricio after ghosting into the box to meet Jordi Alba’s cut-back.

Sergio Ramos then sent a free-kick whistling over the bar, while Navas tested Patricio early in the second half after wriggling down the inside-right channel in the Portuguese box.

Fabregas sent fellow substitute Pedro Rodriguez clear with seven minutes left but he delayed, allowing Coentrao to clear, and the time for penalties had arrived. Agencies

DONETSK, June 28: Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will have to wait another two years to see if he will grace a major final for only the second time after Spain edged his side 4-2 on penalties in their Euro 2012 semi-final here on Wednesday.

However, many will question what happened in the penalty shootout as he stood like a spare part - a disconsolate one at that - as Cesc Fabregas put away the winning penalty leaving him as Portugal’s fifth penalty taker superfluous to proceedings.

Even more strangely, both centrebacks had preceded their captain to the penalty spot, though Bruno Alves’s first attempt was cut off in its prime as Nani ran up and told him to go back.

Alves was eventually to go fourth and miss opening the way for Fabregas to squeeze his winner over the line.

It could all have turned out so differently for the 27-year-old Real Madrid maestro - who came into the game in such good form with three goals to his name at the finals and semeingly ready to inspire his country to their first major title.

He had a quiet start to the game just producing a couple of flicks and passes inside while sticking to his left flank.

At that stage, the man marking him, Real Madrid fullback Alvaro Arbeloa, felt confident enough to go forward and side foot a great chance over the crossbar in the ninth minute.

However, all of a sudden Ronaldo sprang into action with a terrific run down the left and a superb cross that Iker Casillas, his Real teammate in the Spanish goal, managed to pluck out of the air as Nani lurked.

He was now finding taking on Arbeloa to his liking and the fullback had to resort to pulling him down in the 15th minute en route for the penalty area - but his resulting freekick cannoned off the wall.

He produced his first shot in the 24th minute having drifted into the middle of the pitch, but his lob went well clear of the bar

On the 31st minute having drifted in again he was found by Moutinho, who had intercepted the ball, and he turned the defender and flashed in his shot which crept the wrong side of the post.

He had a quiet start to the second-half but clicked back into gear and on twice linked up with Hugo Almeida, but both times the lumbering striker preferred to shoot wildly rather than play in his captain.

Ronaldo then popped up on the right flank, with Nani going to the other, and ghosted in, catching Sergio Ramos unawares but the latter - another Real colleague - managed to nullify the threat and survived Ronaldo’s vain appeals for a penalty.

Ronaldo missed with a couple more freekicks before being presented with a golden chance to win it for his side in the final minute as they produced a brilliant counter-attack.

He was found in space by Raul Meireles. But his usual eye for goal let him down and he fired well over.

From that point on he faded from view as Ramos took charge of him in extra-time and he cut a frustrated figure resorting at one point to a theatrical roll on the ground after once again being bested by his Real Madrid team-mate. Agencies

DONETSK, June 28: Sergio Ramos admitted that the chipped penalty that gave Spain the initiative in their 4-2 penalty shoot-out win over Portugal in the Euro 2012 semifinals had been planned in advance.

The Real Madrid man beat Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio with a ‘Panenka’ penalty to put Spain 3-2 ahead and after Bruno Alves hit the crossbar with his attempt, Cesc Fabregas swept Spain into Sunday’s final in Kiev.

Ramos’ penalty in the last-four encounter in Donetsk on Wednesday was similar to Andrea Pirlo’s audacious spot-kick in Italy’s shoot-out win over England in the quarterfinals.

The 26-year-old centre-back had blazed a penalty over the crossbar in Madrid’s Champions League semi-final shoot-out loss to Bayern Munich in April, but he said he had no qualms about putting himself forward again.

“I’d planned it in advance, I won’t lie,” he told reporters after receiving the man-of-the-match award. “After my last experience with penalties with Real Madrid in the Champions League, people said I wasn’t ready for the responsiblity of taking a penalty. But I had confidence in myself and I wanted to try again.”

He added: “It was a risk, of course, but I had seen how the goalkeeper moved and I was pretty sure he would go one way or the other. It was lucky, but it was great for me.”

‘Panenka’ penalties are named after Antonin Panenka, whose nonchalant chipped penalty in the 1976 European Championship final gave the Czech Republic victory over defending champions West Germany.  Agencies

Colombo, June 28: Indian business enterprises showed keen interest in the inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League and bought all the seven contesting franchises on offer, even as the BCCI decided not to allow its players to participate in the Twenty20 league.

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) had even last year prohibited its players from participating in the league, which forced the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to abort the opening season of the SLPL. While Wadhawan Holdings shelled out the highest bid -- USD 5.02 million -- for Wayamba, Number One Sports Consulting offered a bid of USD 4.98 million for Kandurata. The Uva and Ruhuna went to Success Sports and Pearl Overseas respectively for an amount of USD 4.6 million. Basnahira was bought by Indian Cricket Dundee at USD 4.33 million, while Uthura at USD 3.4 million went to Rudra Sports. Varun Beverages, meanwhile, spent USD 3.22 million for Nagenahira.

The debut edition of the SLPL is scheduled to commence from August 10, with the final to be held on August 31. Agencies

Eugene, June 28 : Former Olympic sprint champion Maurice Greene has dismissed the notion that Jamaican Usain Bolt can rescale the lofty heights of 2008 when he established two mind-boggling World records in the 100 and 200 metres. Greene said he expected the marquee 100m at the upcoming London Olympics to be a very competitive affair as Bolt was no longer in the shape he was four years ago, reports Caribbean Media Corporation. "The race in London is going to be a lot closer than a lot of people think. It's going to be a really exciting race," said Greene, who won 100m gold in Sydney 12 years ago.

"I'm going to tell you right now, he can't do that (set a new World record). I look at people. I analyze their races. He hasn't shown to me to be in that type of shape that he was in 2008," Greene said. Agencies

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28: Sharad Pawar’s reign as the president of the International Cricket Council ended on Thursday as New Zealander Alan Isaac took charge from him for a two-year term at the ICC Annual Conference here.

The 60-year-old Isaac, a former New Zealand Cricket chief, became the eighth president of the ICC, while former South Africa wicket-keeper David Richardson was confirmed as the new chief executive of the world body, taking over from countryman Haroon Lorgat.

Issac will be the last to hold the post in its current shape as it will become a ceremonial role once he steps down in 2014. Over the past two years, Isaac has been the ICC’s vice-president, a position that the body plans to abolish by amending the constitution. The amendment envisages the appointment of a chairman, who will hold office for two years, as the head of the ICC.

“When I look at the list of previous presidents, I am reminded of the importance of this office. In the midst of my pride at being chosen as president, I recognise that there is, of course, much hard work and much progress needed if we are to maintain the game’s current healthy state,” Isaac said.

“I believe that the challenges ahead are no less daunting than those we have faced in the last two years if we are to maintain the vibrancy and viability of the three formats of the sport. We are fortunate as a sport — indeed unique — to have three different formats at international level.

“We will all strive not only to preserve those formats but to build on their foundations. In that way the ICC will continue to oversee a great sport and we will all work to make it even greater. I look forward to serving the game with honesty and integrity and to the best of my ability. I look forward to handing on the guardianship of the sport with the game enjoying even greater health,” he said.

Richardson, after being confirmed as successor to Lorgat who stood down after four years as the ICC Chief Executive, said, “It is a real honour to be confirmed as the ICC Chief Executive and I want to pay tribute to Lorgat.

“I have learnt much in the last four years and I inherit a game in great health with much to be optimistic about. I look forward to building on that and tackling the challenges ahead,” Richardson, who played 42 Tests for South Africa and has been ICC’s General Manager - Cricket for the last 10 years, said. Agencies

LONDON, June 28: World number one Maria Sharapova was forced to dig deep before securing her place in the Wimbledon third round with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), 6-0 victory over Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova on Thursday. The Court 1 match, suspended overnight in the second set, ended three minutes after Serena Williams concluded her second-round victory on Centre Court, beating qualifier Melinda Czink 6-1, 6-4.

While she battled an erratic serve, with eight aces and 10 double-faults, four-time champion Serena Williams had no such trouble. She won 27 of 28 points on her first serve, had 10 aces and was never broken.

The sixth-seeded Williams could meet Sharapova in the final next week.

Sharapova had crushed Anastasia Rodionova in the first round in her first match since winning the French Open earlier this month, but Pironkova made the Russian fight far harder to keep her title bid on course.

The 25-year-old, who won Wimbledon in 2004, had recovered from 5-2 down to take the first set and had just broken to move 3-1 ahead when the tie was suspended due to bad light on Wednesday evening.

Sharapova asked for play to be called off for several minutes before finally getting her wish, but her pleas looked to have backfired when Pironkova hit back to take the second set when play resumed on Thursday.

That provoked an impressive response from Sharapova, who surged through the final set to earn a last 32 clash with Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei as last year’s runner-up tries to reach the Wimbledon final for the third time.

Pironkova has good pedigree on grass after reaching the Wimbledon semifinals in 2010 and then making it to the last eight 12 months ago.

And the 24-year-old’s talent had shone brightly in the gathering gloom on Wednesday as she raced into a 5-2 lead in the first set.

But Sharapova’s return to the top has been fuelled by her ferocious competitive instincts and she willed herself back into the match in typically tenacious fashion.

She saved five set points to force a tie-break, which the Russian took as a series of Pironkova errors gifted the set to the top seed.

With the light fading by the minute, play was called off after Sharapova broke in the fourth game.

But when the match started again on Thursday she struggled to find any rhythm.

Pironkova broke back in the first game of the day and there was no sign of improvement from Sharapova in the breaker, which the Bulgarian took after three double-faults from her opponent.

Faced with the growing possibility of a shock exit, Sharapova suddenly snapped into top gear and blew Pironkova off court, breaking three times to seal the win.

Sara Errani committed only five unforced errors and beat Anne Keothavong of Britain 6-1, 6-1. The 25-year-old Errani, an Italian who has blossomed in Grand Slam competition this year, matched her best Wimbledon showing by advancing to the third round.

She was the French Open runner-up this month to Sharapova, and she’s 12-2 in major tournaments in 2012. She began this year with a career record of 15-17 at majors.

Playing the day’s first match on Court 2, the 10th-seeded Errani erased all three break points she faced and won in 61 minutes. That was a grueling effort compared with Wednesday, when she played only one point to complete a victory suspended overnight because of rain. Agencies

LONDON, June 28: Seventh seed Caroline Wozniacki lost 5-7, 7-6, 6-4 to Austrian Tamira Paszek in a disrupted first-round clash at Wimbledon on Wednesday.

In a match which started on Tuesday and was interrupted again by rain on Wednesday, former world number one Wozniacki took the first set and led 2-0 in the second but Paszek continued to go for her shots and fought back to win a tiebreak 7-4 under the closed roof on Centre Court.

Paszek, who won the Eastbourne warm-up tournament last weekend, served for the match at 5-3 in the decider but Dane Wozniacki broke back, only to drop her serve in the next game to hand victory to the world number 37.

It was the first time Wozniacki, who has never won a grand slam title despite getting to the top of the rankings, had lost in the first round at Wimbledon.

Yesterday Kim Clijsters, on her valedictory tour, barged into the third round.

Clijsters is bouncing in the basement of the world's top 50 these days, but come grand slams her quality is at the fore, and on a drizzly, overcast South-west London evening Andrea Hlavackova was relegated to bit-part actress as the Clijsters circus rolled on. Her demeanour has been matured by marriage, motherhood and the passing years, and it was a muted joy which heralded her 6-3, 6-3 victory - a clenched fist and a determined nod rather than a skip and giggle. Agencies

LONDON, June 28: Britain’s Andy Murray faced an all-out assault from massive- serving Croat Ivo Karlovic before booking his place in the Wimbledon third round with a 7-5 6-7 6-2 7-6 victory on Thursday.

The number four seed struggled to get a handle on the Karlovic serve with 17 aces flying past him and the 2.08 metre Croat also volleyed well to frustrate Murray.

After claiming the first set, Murray was unable to find a way to upset the Karlovic serve in the second and was pegged back in a tiebreak.

He broke twice in the third set and closed out the match in a second tiebreak to advance to the third-round. Agencies.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28: Left red-faced after the powerful BCCI opposed the Decision Review System at the Executive Board Meeting, the ICC on Thursday said that it will not force India to accept the controversial technology in bilateral series.

With India unrelenting in its opposition to the DRS, the ICC Board did not ratify the Chief Executive Committee's recommendation for universal application of the DRS and the new chief executive Dave Richardson defended the decision.

Addressing a press conference after taking over from fellow South African Haroon Lorgat, Richardson said he would not try to force India to accept the technology.

"I don't think (the ICC Board decision is) negative at all. We'll see DRS in the majority of series and there would be no sense in forcing anything upon anybody. The point is that the Board of Control for Cricket in India need to make that decision for themselves. It's never good to take anyone kicking and screaming to do anything," Richardson said. "The introduction of technology has always been controversial... but slowly but surely that's changed and I think we're pretty much at that point where everyone is accepting, certainly at international level," he said.

The ICC was left red-faced at its Annual Conference here when its chief executives proposed mandatory DRS in Tests and ODIs, only for the board to reject the move after India let it be known that it could not accept the technology.

Richardson also denied that dealing with financially powerful India would be his main preoccupation as chief executive. Agencies

St. George’s, June 28: West Indies A beat India A by two wickets in a low-scoring first of the three match One-Day series at the National Stadium here.

After being dismissed for 190, the Indians looked like pulling it off when they reduced West Indies to 158 for eight before a critical, unbroken 35-run stand between skipper Veerasammy Permaul and tail-ender Nikita Miller steered the hosts to victory without further loss with three balls to spare Wednesday, reports Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

Man-of-the-Match Permaul, who was earlier chiefly responsible for restricting India’s score taking four wickets, was 22 not out while Miller chipped in with 12 to give West Indies a 1-0 lead in the series.

India, bowled out off the last ball of the innings after winning the toss, got a good start with Ajinkya Rahane top-scoring with 58 his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan getting 30. Manoj Tiwary (26) and Jalaj Saxena (22) were the only other batsmen to cross 20.

West Indies A lost Test opener Adrian Barath for five early in the run chase and fellow Test opener Kieran Powell followed soon (42/2) after hammering a brisk 25 off 24 balls with three fours.

Out-of-form Test batsman Kirk Edwards then stroked 33 off 44 balls with two fours anda six to add 29 for the third wicket with Nkrumah Bonner (14).

Brief scores: India A: 190 all out off 50 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 58, Shikhar Dhawan 30, Manoj Tiwary 26, Jalaj Saxena 22, Veerasammy Permaul 4-28, Jason Holder 2-30, Jonathan Carter 2-41)

West Indies A: 193 for eight off 49.3 overs (Jonathan Carter 39, Kirk Edwards 33, Assad Fudadin 26, KieranPowell 25; Ashok Dinda 3-35, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-14). Agencies

NEW DELHI, June 28: The first Indian boxer to win a medal at the Olympics, Vijender Singh, said on Thursday that his bronze medal in Beijing had changed the face of boxing and motivated other boxers in the country to reach new heights.

Post the 2008 Beijing Games, Vijender has had a few ups and downs in his career. He lost in the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships, beaten by Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan in the semi-final of the 75 kg middleweight category and managed only a bronze in the 2010 Commonwealth Games held at home soil.

“It was a big change, for me, the sport and the countries outlook towards the sport. It was the first medal in boxing and we really needed something of that sort for the sport,” he said.

“Even my fellow boxers approach changed, everyone started to believe and I think belief makes all the difference. The journey is still going on and with God’s grace will have a few more medals to show for.” Vijender became the first Indian boxer to qualify for the Olympic Games for a third successive time after beating Chuluuntumur Tumurkhuyag of Mongolia 27-17.

“It obviously feels good, but I just don’t want to be tagged as the one who played three Olympics, but as the one who got medals in two,” said Vijender.

After the Beijing Olympics and the Milan World Championships Vijender was the top ranked boxer in the 75kg weight category, however injuries and a spate of poor performances has seen him drop out of the top 45.

“See, nothing is permanent. Having said that, it makes a difference to know that you are number one in the world or you are in the top five. But it does not drive my game in any way.

I was number one in the world at one point of time, now someone else is and maybe someday my name will again feature in the top list. It is a derivative of your performance in some tournaments, that’s how it works.” IANS

DUBAI, June 28: Australian all-rounder Shane Watson believes that the West Indies will be the team to beat in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup which kicks off in Sri Lanka in September.

Watson feels Darren Sammy’s side’s all-round strengths make it the favourite for the event.

“I actually think the West Indies are going to be the team to beat. They have got a really well balanced team that has played a lot of high quality Twenty20 cricket around the world and they certainly know how to perform under pressure. I think they have got the firepower to give a lot of teams a big surprise,” said Watson.

However, Watson thinks the experience gained by Australia’s players in domestic T20 competitions across the globe, means his side may be able to go one better than its runners-up spot at the 2010 event in the Caribbean.

“It is a format in which we still haven’t been able to play well consistently against other countries in the world. We made the final in the last ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies and in the end we were pipped by England but since then we haven’t played consistently well, so we are really going to have to step up our Twenty20 game.”

“With a change in players and the experience of playing in different Twenty20 leagues, it means hopefully we can step up when we really need to,” he said.

Meanwhile, Watson admits he is excited about the upcoming ODI series against England that begins Friday.

“It is going to be a huge series. It is a great lead-in to next year’s Ashes and there is no doubt we have to be at our absolute best for that one-day series so our preparation is going to be very important, as is the way we perform. It is the first time for us with a slightly newer group of cricketers, a new coach Mickey Arthur and a new structure around us,” said Watson.

Watson, who missed much of the Australian summer through injury, is hopeful that he is now over the string of injury problems that have hampered his career.

“I’ve learnt a lot about the way I am going to get the best out of myself as an all-rounder, about my bowling workload and what my body can do. I am trying to find the best ways to give myself the best chance of not getting injured.”

“In the three months during the summer when I was injured, I learnt a lot and I have put a few things in place again to make sure that I am doing everything I can to give myself the best chance I can of staying fit,” he said. IANS

AIGLE, June 28: Italian cyclist Leonardo Bertagnolli retired within hours of learning he could face disciplinary action for suspected blood doping.

The International Cycling Union requested a hearing for Bertagnolli on Wednesday, and soon after the 34-year-old announced his retirement.

If a formal charge is brought, it would be the first such case opened since May 2010 based solely on a rider’s biological passport results.

Bertagnolli never failed a doping test but is suspected of doping because of fluctuations in blood values in samples collected over several years.

The governing body says Bertagnolli has “the presumption of innocence” until charged.

Bertagnolli later said in a statement that the Campionatio Italiano - in which he finished 16th - was the last race of his career. The decision had been made with the staff at Team Lampre at the beginning of the season.

Bertagnolli won a stage at the 2009 Giro d’Italia, and the San Sebastian one-day classic in 2007.

Lampre says in a statement that the “potential violations” dated to 2008-09, before Bertagnolli joined the team.

Bertagnolli was set to be questioned on Wednesday by Italy’s anti-doping prosecutors about alleged links with Michele Ferrari, a doctor who in 2002 was banned for life from the sport by the Italian Cycling Federation. However, the hearing has been rescheduled for next Wednesday on his request. AP

WARSAW, June 28: Poland’s security services have lifted their readiness level ahead of the final Euro 2012 match on its soil on Thursday as a precaution after a border patrol found explosives on a raft on a river on its border this week.

“We have received certain information that pointed to a potential appearance of a terrorist threat,” said interior minister Jacek Cichocki. “But there is no indication of a concrete danger for a specific place or person.”

Cichocki said the higher readiness level meant that all Polish security services, not just those involved in Euro 2012 operations, would be on higher alert.

Some 6,000 policemen are scheduled to be in Warsaw ahead of Thursday’s semifinal between Germany and Italy, in line with previous matches that took place in the capital.

There have been no major security incidents during the three-week tournament, although Polish police were criticised for allowing street fights between local hooligans and Russian fans before their June 12 clash.

A border patrol had intercepted a raft with some explosives and a cellphone that had the photo of Warsaw’s National Stadium in its memory crossing the Bug river on the border of Poland and Ukraine.

Such rafts are often used to smuggle items across the border. Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 28: Brazilian swimmer Glauber Silva has been banned for two years and stripped of his place at the London Olympics for doping.

Silva, who last month qualified for the 100m butterfly event in London, tested positive to excess levels of testosterone during Brazil’s Olympic swimming trials in April.

He was handed the sentence by Brazil’s swimming confederation (CBDA) on Wednesday after being found guilty by a doping panel.

The CBDA also announced suspensions to swimmers Flavia Delaroli and Pamela Alencar.

Delaroli was handed a three-month ban for using tuaminoheptane while Alencar was suspended for six months for testing positive for the diuretic furosemide.

Silva’s claim that increased levels of testosterone were caused by a hormonal imbalance were refuted by the panel, which said the results were consistent with steroid use.

The suspensions are the latest in a string of doping scandals to hit Brazilian swimming.

Last month, Barbara Benke was banned for four months after testing positive to isometheptene.

In 2011, four swimmers tested positive to furosemide, including defending Olympic 50m freestyle champion Cesar Cielo, who was later cleared. IANS

LONDON, June 28: Former England captain David Beckham revealed on Thursday he had not been picked for Great Britain’s Olympic football squad.

Beckham, regarded as a potential skipper of the side, confirmed in a statement he had not made the final 18-man squad as one of coach Stuart Pearce’s three over-age players.

Pearce had travelled to the United States to assess Beckham’s form last week before making his decision.

“Everyone knows how much playing for my country has always meant to me,” Beckham said in a statement. “So I would have been honored to have been part of this unique Team GB squad.”

“Naturally I am very disappointed, but there will be no bigger supporter of the team than me. And like everyone, I will be hoping they can win the gold.” Beckham, 37, had spoken repeatedly of his desire to play in an Olympics staged in his hometown.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid was widely expected to be granted a place in the squad as reward for his role in helping London win the Olympics at the 2005 International Olympic Committee vote in Singapore.

The football superstar’s presence on the campaign trail in Singapore is often credited as being one of the key factors in tipping the vote in London’s favour during the final few days of lobbying. AFP

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 28: Substitute Romarinho scored a precious late equalizer as Corinthians earned a 1-1 away draw against Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores final first leg in Buenos Aires.

Facundo Roncaglia gave Boca the lead on 72nd minute at the Bombonera Stadium when he tapped in from close range after Chicao’s goal-line clearance on Wednesday.

Corinthians coach tite replaced Danilo with Romarinho in the 85th minute in a last-gasp bid to secure an away goal.

His faith was rewarded three minutes later when the 21-year-old striker coolly chipped goalkeeper Agustin Orion after Emerson’s deft pass.

The goal silenced the partisan crowd of 49,000 fans, which included Argentine legend Diego Maradona. In a tense finale, Boca missed the chance to regain the lead in injury time when Lucas Viatri’s diving header rebounded off the crossbar. The teams will meet in the deciding second leg next Wednesday at Corinthians’ Pacaembu Stadium in Sao Paulo. IANS

DONETSK, June 28: Team captains Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo made speeches supporting a UEFA anti-discrimination campaign before Spain and Portugal kicked off their European Championship semifinal match on Wednesday.

UEFA requires captains of each semifinalist to deliver prepared statements on the pitch for the “Respect Diversity” campaign. Casillas said “we owe our success to our team spirit and the diversity of our backgrounds.”

Ronaldo said that “football can bring people together like no other sport no matter their religious, social or ethnic background.”

Ronaldo was jeered by some Spain fans.

The Spanish football association faces a UEFA disciplinary hearing on Thursday after some supporters racially abused Italy forward Mario Balotelli during a group match. AP

MADRID, June 28: Barcelona have strengthened their defence and found a replacement for Eric Abidal by sealing an agreement with Valencia to sign Spain fullback Jordi Alba on a five-year contract, the La Liga club said on Thursday.

The deal is worth 14 million euros ($17.44 million) and is subject to the 23-year-old left back, a Barca youth academy graduate who is representing Spain at Euro 2012, passing a medical, the club said on their official Twitter feed.

Barca were in the market for a left-sided fullback after Abidal had a liver transplant earlier this year and it remains uncertain whether the France international will be able to make a return to action.

After some impressive displays for Valencia, the pacy Alba made his debut for Spain against Scotland in Alicante in October and has since made the left back position vacated by Joan Capdevila his own earning 10 caps.

Born in the same Catalan town as Barca keeper Victor Valdes, he started out in the club’s youth ranks but was released and joined regional league side UE Cornella before Valencia snapped him up at the age of 17 for a bargain 6,000 euros. Roving down the wing, Alba uses his explosive pace to surge past his markers and deliver inviting crosses and he has been a big threat to Spain’s opponents at the finals in Poland and Ukraine as they bid to retain their continental title.

He helped serve up one of the moments of the tournament in the 2-0 quarterfinal win against France when he burst into space and sent over a perfect cross for Xabi Alonso to head home Spain’s opening goal. Reuters

LONDON, June 28: Arsenal’s signing of French striker Olivier Giroud on Tuesday may signal a turning-point in Robin van Persie’s career with the Premier League club.

Manager Arsene Wenger is said to be considering playing an attacking trio of Giroud, Van Persie and the Gunners’ other new recruit Lukas Podolski as part of a 4-3-3 formation which the Frenchman tried out last year.

Van Persie, the Premier League’s top scorer with 30 goals last season, has been linked with moves to Manchester City and Juventus and the Italian champions are likely to react to Giroud’s arrival in north London with renewed interest.

The 28-year-old Van Persie, who joined Arsenal in 2004, has always said he would never consider playing for another English club but City will also have perked up at the news of Giroud’s arrival.

The Premier League champions are prepared to offer him wages of 250,000 pounds ($390,000) a week.

Juventus cannot hope to match that but any striker would surely be interested in teaming up with playmaker Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings in midfield as the Italian giants bid to return to the pinnacle of European soccer. With Van Persie’s contract up for renewal in 2013, Wenger is hoping that adding to Arsenal’s strike force will actually encourage the Dutchman to stay at the Emirates rather than push him away.

The coach has been keen to stress the unselfish attributes of Giroud and Podolski, their commitment to teams and readiness and ability to play wide or as a second striker.

That proposed 4-3-3 formation could just as easily develop into a more flexible 4-5-1 or 4-3-2-1, possibly with Van Persie leading the line, and Giroud does not envisage any great problems.

“I’m a player who likes to play, who likes to participate in the game,” he told Arsenal’s official website. “That’s why I think the way Arsenal play will suit me.”

“There is a nice sporting challenge as well at Arsenal, and I will play to create history and enjoy myself and give pleasure to the fans.”

“Of course, there are big strikers here, it is a big club and there will be a lot of competition for places.” “But it’s up to me to win my place.” Arsenal supporters would be devastated to lose Van Persie who has carried the team’s attack since the painful departures of creative midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri last year.

He overcame the injury problems which have dogged his career to play over 40 matches for Arsenal last season and is seen as a cornerstone of the team’s bid to win their first major trophy since the 2005 FA Cup. Three clearly does not have to be a crowd given Wenger’s tactical flexibility and the demands of the English season but Van Persie has some thinking to do at a pivotal moment in his career. Reuters