Indian lifters to draw inspiration from Kunjarani
MELBOURNE, Mar 15 (Agencies): As Indian lifters grapples with fresh dope cases, it would look for an spark of inspiration from veteran Kunjarani Devi when she takes centrestage to defend her gold medal haul in the 48-kg category in the Commonwealth Games here tomorrow.
Triple gold medallist in the last edition, Kunjurani Devi, who still nurture an unfulfilled dream of winning a Olympic medal, is certain to repeat her performance as she is the top seed and far ahead of others in the field.
Kunjarani would be leading the Indian charge in weightlifting that won the country the maximum number of medals in Manchester Commonwealth Games with as many as 13 gold, nine slver and nine bronze.
Kunjarani has been showing improvement in her lift since the Athens Games in 2004 and she is the top seed in ranking among the Commonwealth nations.
The 38-year-old bespectacled Indian lifter, who has 21 medals from the World Championships alone, could prove to be too hot for the rest in the field and other entrants in this category has no standing amongst the top 18 in the world.
Though the Manipuri lifter was placed seventh in Centennial World Championship in Doha, she has the capability to rise to the occassion and lead by example.
Her lift in Doha, the first World Championship after Athens Games was her recent best lift of (78-100) 178 kgs.
Harbhajan Singh, Manager of the Indian weight lifting team said that going by Devi and Vicky Batta's (56 kg men's) recent performances, they should win gold medals.
Batta remains the favourite for the gold in this section, though having surrendered his title in the last Nationals to Edwin Raju.
"I am confident that if these three perform to their potential, we should start our medal collection with all three golds tomorrow", Batta said.
In the Doha championship, Batta was placed 14th with a lift of 234 kgs and finished for a bronze in the Manchester Games has the best of chances to collect the gold and Raju could muster either silver or bronze.
On the dope tainted lifters the Seceratary of Indian weightlifting Federation, Balbir Singh Bhatia told the media that, "it is not an issue concerning India alone.
There are countries worst than India on that front".
Indian's medal prospects in the 63-kg category, B Premeelavalli was withdrawn from the weightlifting team at the last minute following a report from the Dope Control Center in New Delhi.
Hingis ousts Davenport on day of upsets Martina Hingis beat second seed Lindsay Davenport 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to reach the Pacific Life Open quarter-finals in one of several upsets on Tuesday.
Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis overcame seventh seed Gaston Gaudio 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, Czech teenager Tomas Berdych knocked out number nine Lleyton Hewitt 7-5, 6-3 and Russia's Dinara Safina ousted her fifth-seeded compatriot Anastasia Myskina 6-1, 6-3.
Just two and half months into her comeback after three years off the WTA Tour, Hingis continued her race towards the top of the rankings, showing the quick footwork and inventive play that once made her world number one.
After the taller and stronger Davenport found the range of her big serve and ground strokes in the second set, the Swiss 25-year-old rapidly regained her edge, moving her opponent around the court and retrieving a succession of heavy shots from behind the baseline.
Hingis broke Davenport three times during the set and won the match when Davenport made a mistake on a backhand volley.
Davenport was clearly struggling with a back injury but still gave credit to her longtime rival.
"I don't want to take everything from her," the American told reporters.
"I know I had to go for big shots, keep the points short, try not to get into longer rallies.
When she gets more confidence, I feel like I have to go for bigger and bigger shots and started missing." Hingis was thrilled with the victory after going into the match having lost eight of her last 11 meetings with the American.
"To beat Lindsay here in Indian Wells, it probably matters a little bit more than anything else," said Hingis, who lost to Davenport in the 2000 final and now has a 11-14 record against her.
"She lives close by and I know she takes it very seriously.
To beat her here, it's great," added Hingis who faces Safina in the quarter-finals.
Baghdatis, who lost to world number one Roger Federer in the Australian Open final, is making his Indian Wells debut and he will take on fellow 20-year-old Berdych in the last eight.
Another youngster, Richard Gasquet of France beat Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia 6-3, 6-4.
Top seed Federer and second seed Rafael Nadal were scheduled to play later, along with women's top seed Justine Henin-Hardenne and Maria Sharapova.
Nets could decide Lee's partner CAPE TOWN, Mar 15 ( Agencies): Ricky Ponting is unsure who will get the nod as Brett Lee's new-ball partner in the first Test against South Africa starting on Thursday.
Australia are heavily favoured to pick the spinners Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill on a surface expected to turn and Stuart Clark and Michael Kasprowicz are the leading contenders for the second fast-bowling place.
"It's going to be wicket-reliant as much as anything," Ponting said in The Australian.
"I spoke to the Newlands groundsman leading up to the one-day game, and he seemed to think it might spin a bit here in the Test match.
If we go in with two spinners, then as to which other quick I'm really not sure yet." Ponting said the decision could rely on how the fast men, including the spare bowler Shaun Tait, perform in the nets.
The Australians had a full session on Tuesday and will have a top-up training today as they attempt to gain Test focus in the three days after Sunday's dramatic one-day loss.
"It might just come down to whoever impresses the most in the nets," Ponting said.
Clark has been with the squad for the entire tour and his similarities to Glenn McGrath were expected to help him towards a Test debut.
However, he has been part of the one-day attack belted by South Africa and Kasprowicz, who picked up 44 Pura Cup wickets this summer, could play his first international match since Trent Bridge in 2005.
The work of Clark, who collected four victims in his past four matches at an economy rate of 5.82, has impressed Ponting.
"He's bowled beautifully," Ponting told AAP.
"He hasn't bowled with the new ball, but he's been on fairly early in every game.
He's been difficult and uncomfortable for their batsmen." Clark has not played a first-class match since November but Ponting did not think his lack of bowling would be a problem.
"He's in really good touch at the moment and I don't think [not playing a four-day game] will worry him too much.
He's done a lot of bowling since he's been here." Ponting said Kasprowicz also had "a few things going for him" and the decision would be a difficult one.
"One of my strengths is adaptability, both in my style of bowling and having an impact in different conditions," Kasprowicz said in The Australian.
South Africa have picked a 14-man squad for the first two Tests and Ponting said he had a good idea how they would play.
"They'll try and grind out their runs as much as they can, bat for long periods of time and try to make us bat for a long time in order to score our runs," he said in The Australian.
"They won't let us get away too much." About us | Advertise | Other Publications | Subscriptions | Weather | Letters | Send Mail Disclaimer: Information is being made available at this site purely as a measure of public facilitation.
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