The deal, which is expected to be formalised by the end of this week, will run for a period of five years until 2017 and will be in the range of Rs10 crore per year for all teams (men’s, women’s and junior boys and girls). That is a steep raise from the earlier deal, which was worth approximately Rs3 crore per year for all teams.

The representatives of Sahara and Hockey India are currently working on the nitty-gritty’s of the deal. Hockey India secretary general Narendra Batra confirmed the development. “We held discussions with Sahara officials on Monday. There has been a positive step forward and we are in the process of completing the paperwork. However, I can only go into the details once all the formalities are completed and the documentation is done,” Batra said.

Hockey India and Sahara were locked in a battle over the sponsorship amount for nearly six months. The previous contract expired on July 15, 2011, and had been temporarily extended for six months until a solution was reached. Hockey India had demanded Rs15 crore per year from Sahara if the deal had to be renewed. Sahara wasn’t ready to renew the deal under such demands, which they found too high.

“With the Olympic qualifiers round the corner, a decision was needed on this matter. Finally, both parties seem to have reached a common ground,” an official involved in getting the deal done said. “The renewed amount for the deal, which shall be for a period of five years, will be substantially more than what it was earlier.

The priority is to get the contract renewed before the qualifiers start.”

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 His physiotherapist Dr Jatin Chaudhary, however, assured that the ailment is curable and the batsman would be fit to resume cricket in May. His mother Shabnam Singh could not be reached for her comments.”It is a rare tumour and is cancerous but it has been detected in stage one itself. Doctors had to decide whether to continue medication or go for chemotherapy but since parts of the tumour are just above the artery of his heart, there was a danger that while running it could burst. But it is 100% curable,” Chaudhary said.”The doctors decided that he would have to undergo chemotherapy and he travelled to the US on January 26. End of March, he would undergo a CT scan and should recover by then.

After that it is just some rehabilitation in April before he is fit to be back on the field in May,” he added.

Yuvraj, who was Player of the Tournament in the World Cup last year with 362 runs, 15 wickets and four Man-of-the-Match awards, has also been taking ayurvedic medicines to battle the disease.”After ayurvedic treatment only three cycles of chemotherapy are required. Initially when the cancer was diagnosed after a biopsy in October end, doctors feared that the treatment would be six cycles of chemotherapy,” Chaudhary said.”Thankfully no surgery is required, he is already a lot better than what he was and can’t wait to be back on the cricket field,” he said.

Chaudhary said the detection of cancer was delayed by wrong diagnosis by an Indian hospital.”His first biopsy report was stolen from his car and the second from a hospital, I don’t want to name, did not give the correct diagnosis. It was a Russian doctor who detected the cancer and after consultations with doctors in US, it was decided that Yuvraj would undergo chemotherapy,” he said.”Once he is done with chemo in March, his rehabilitation would be complete by April end and he would be perfectly fit to play in May,” he added.

Yuvraj has played 37 Tests, scoring 1775 runs at an average of 34.80.He has 8051 runs at an average of 37.62 from his 274-match ODI career, the highlight of which was his stellar role in India’s World Cup triumph last year.

In 23 Twenty20s, Yuvraj has scored 567 runs at 31.50.

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India won 5-0. Afghanistan 3-1. If Sanjar Ahmadi was the star performer for Afghanistan, scoring two goals, Clifford Miranda dominated the stage later, scoring and creating goals with his relentless pursuits.How well did India dominate? Goalkeeper Karanjit Singh was tested just once.

The qualifiers from Group ‘A’ will become clear only during the final league games in the SAFF Championship at the Nehru Stadium here.But India and Afghanistan are best placed to make it.Afghanistan defeated Sri Lanka with a delectable performance.The Afghans, athletic and innovative, left the opponents stunned.Sanjar Ahmadi, an untiring athlete on the football pitch, a student in California, had a few lessons to impart to the hapless Lankans.They encountered thin air as he breezed past them at will and scored with a flourish not seen in the tournament thus far.It was not a spectacle that Afghanistan put up. It was a neat package of total football.The area the Afghan team explored left the Lankans chasing shadows, playing the catching up game mostly. The pattern was set.

Swift counter-attacks were the order and then Ahmadi lost little time in transforming the game. His explosive bursts left the Lankans breathless and disjointed.It was a joy to watch Afghanistan, but the initial thrust came from Sri Lanka.A back-headed ball reached an alert Mi Mohamed Zain, who advanced, had the time to look for the angle and slotted home.This galvanised Afghanistan with Ahmadi orchestrating the game with individual brilliance.The equaliser was a piece of opportunism. Ahmadi lay in wait as Yousef Mashriqi rolled the ball, grabbed it, moved a few paces and drove home, angular but precise. Ahmadi was in his element now and all over the Lankans.

Mohammad Esrafil got into the act, sprinting down the left flank. His pace was searing and his cross from the left breathtaking.The ball flashed past the face of goal; Mashriqi lunged and missed, but Ahmadi came sliding in to connect the ball firmly.The second session too had some exciting moments. The last goal of the match came from a header by Ata Mohammad Yamir Ali. Afghanistan deserved to score more.

India too ought to have knocked in more than what it eventually did against a team ranked 198 and mostly made up of under-19 players.The Indian team was literally parked in the Bhutan half even though just two goals came its way in the first session.Syed Rahim Nabi headed a Clifford Miranda flag kick on the half-hour mark. And then Miranda put a rebound in at the stroke of half-time.On resumption, he added one more with a long ranger. Sunil Chetri too added his name to the list with two goals.

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The one-shot triumph from Zach Johnson was his first victory since a sex scandal shattered his iconic image just days after winning the 2009 Australian Masters.

Woods had 26 starts worldwide in more than two years without a victory as personal turmoil was followed by struggles on the course with swing changes and, this year, injuries that curtailed his playing time and stalled his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major titles at 14.”It feels great,” said Woods, who let out a roar as his six-foot birdie putt at the final hole dropped, then shook hands with Johnson as fans at Sherwood Country Club bellowed their approval.”I wasn’t really thinking, I think I was yelling,” Woods said.”I think I was screaming something but it was just that I won the golf tournament. I pulled it off with one down, two to go. To go birdie-birdie is as good as it gets.”

Asked if his over-riding emotion was joyous, satisfied or simply relief, Woods smiled and said, “It just feels awesome whatever it is.”His final-round 69 gave him a 10-under total of 278, and he donated the $US1.2 million winner’s prize to his charitable foundation, for which he hosts this event.While the Challenge is not an official US PGA Tour tournament, it counts toward the world rankings and Woods is projected to rise from his current 52nd ranking to 21st.Johnson, who led Woods by one after three rounds, carded a one-under 71.

England’s Paul Casey, dead last in the 18-man field after a first-round 79, was the unlikely third-placed finisher with a 69 for 283.Australia’s Jason Day shot a closing 72 and finished 15th, a distant 13 shots behind Woods.

But the final round was all about Woods and whether he could out-duel Johnson and finally get himself back into the winner’s circle after promising performances at the Australian Open and in America’s Presidents Cup triumph at Royal Melbourne last month.Despite a few “loose shots”, Woods said his new swing held up admirably.”When the pressure was on the most the last two holes, I hit three of the best shots I hit all week. That’s very exciting for me,” he said.

Johnson said Woods’ ability to stay clear of injury was the key factor in whether he continued to win in 2012 as he resumes his majors quest.”If the man is healthy, that’s paramount,” Johnson said.”He’s the most experienced and the best player I’ve ever played with. In every situation, he knows how to execute and win.”

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 Azhar was particularly severe on Kambli and said he lacked character.”Absolutely rubbish, whatever he (Kambli) is talking. He doesn’t know what he is talking, when you have people who have no character and no background come on TV and talk absolute rubbish in front of the nation and demeaning all the players who played in the team, it is totally disrespectful and its very sad,” a livid Azhar told reporters in New Delhi.Azhar, who was the Indian captain at that time, said the decision to field first was a collective decision.”May be when he was sitting in the meeting, he must have been sleeping,” he added.

 Kambli, a former Indian cricketer who has often been embroiled in controversies both on and off the field, on Thursday raised suspicion on the 1996 World Cup semi-final between India and Sri Lanka and said he found “something amiss” in the game.”I will never forget the 1996 match because my career ended after this and I was dropped from the team. I was stunned by India’s decision to field,” Kambli had said.Azhar, however, refuted all the allegations leveled against him saying it was a team decision to field after winning the toss.”It was a team decision which was taken by all the team members that when we win the toss we will field. Whatever he is talking is absolutely rubbish and nonsense”.

 The BCCI and other former players like Sourav Ganguly, Arun Lal, Atul Wassan and Saba Karim slammed Kambli for casting aspersions on the players.The BCCI trashed Kambli’s claim and said it will not give any importance to the issue.”If Kambli had problems, he should have spoken at that time. Not after 15 years. We dont give much importance to such allegations”, a BCCI official said.

 Azhar also refuted the claims that Kambli was made a scapegoat, saying the cricketer got enough chances to prove himself but failed to capitalise on the opportunities.”He is not made a scapegoat. First of all the way he played his cricket, everybody knows how he played his cricket and what he used to do. So he cannot say he has been made a scapegoat, because he got selected again in 1998 but got injured in one of the matches where he was substituting for some player, I don’t know when…in Cuttack or some other place,” Azhar said.”I think if he had taken his cricket seriously he wouldn’t be in this position now,” the former captain added.

 Azhar said the only reason behind India’s defeat against Sri Lanka in the contentious semi-final match at Eden Gardens was that the team did not perform up to the mark.”We played badly, we lost the match. There is nothing to do with toss or batting first or fielding first. If you don’t play well you lose the match, as simple as that,” said Azhar.

 The cricketer also rebutted the call for a probe into the match saying will you have a probe for every match India lost.”Why should there be a probe after so many years. What is the probe you are talking about, I don’t know why people talk about this probe, then for every match there is probe,” Azhar said.

Meanwhile, the then manager of the Indian team and former captain, Ajit Wadekar, doubted the timing of Kambli’s statement.”My question is, if he knew everything, why did he wait for 15 years,” Wadekar said.Kambli had on Thursday claimed that Wadekar knew everything about the incident and had even criticised the decision.”Our team manager at that time Ajit Wadekar was aware of everything. He had even written an article afterwards that Vinod Kambli had been made a scapegoat,” he said.

Wadekar, however, said that electing to field first was a collective decision as the team felt that Sri Lankan’s were good chasers.”In the team meeting before the match it was decided that India would field in the event of winning the toss. The decision was taken after consultation with the entire team,” Wadekar said.

Wadekar added that even though he and Sandeep Patil were of the opinion that the wicket would turn, the team still decided to field keeping in mind the chasing prowess of the Sri Lankans.

Former cricketers Arun Lal and Atul Wassan also criticised Kambli for raking up the issue after nearly 15 years.”Kambli’s credibility is a problem, I dont know why he is talking about it after so many years”, Wassan pointed out.”Kambli should behave more responsibly. He just cannot sully the image of the game and make such statements. Why did he not speak earlier. What took him 15 years”, Lal said.

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London

Butt was sentenced to two and a half years, Asif was handed a one-year term, while the 19-year-old Amir was sentenced to six months of prison time by the Southwark Crown Court here.Players’ agent Mazhar Majeed got the strongest punishment as he was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison by Justice Jeremy Cooke after a trial that ran for close to three weeks.”These offences, regardless of pleas, are so serious that only a sentence of imprisonment will suffice,” Cooke told the convicted quartet here today.

Butt, who apparently corrupted his teammates, was called the “orchestrator” of the scam that was revealed after a sting operation on Majeed by the now-defunct tabloid ‘The News of the World’ in August last year.
“It’s clear you were the orchestrator of these matters. You had to be to make sure these two bowlers were bowling at the time of the fix,” the judge stated.

To Asif, Cooke said: “Whilst no money was found in your possession, it’s clear that you conspired to bowl a no-ball. There’s no evidence on your part of prior fixing but it’s hard to see that this could have been an isolated incident.”Butt and Asif were found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments by a jury on Tuesday, while Majeed and Amir pleaded guilty at a pre-trial in September.

The cricketers, however, might have to serve just half of their sentences as they can be released on license if their behaviour is good.The three players were also ordered to pay up the prosecution cost of the case. While Butt was asked to fork out 30,937 pounds, Asif and Amir were told to pay 8,120 and 9,389 pounds respectively.”Now, when people look back at a surprising event in a game or a surprising result or ever in the future there are surprising results, followers of the game who have paid to watch cricket or who have watched cricket on TV will wonder whether there has been a fix or what they have watched was natural,” the judge said.

The trio entered the courtroom amid high drama as mediapersons jostled with laymen for seats in what was perhaps the biggest criminal trial involving cricketers and their sentencing ends a year of high drama which has left Pakistan cricket embarrassed.The saga began in August last year when shocking footage of Majeed claiming that he could fix a Test match for USD one million came to light.

He claimed to have Butt, Asif and Amir on his payroll and revealed how the trio conspired to send down pre-determined no balls during the Lord’s Test against England.The hotel rooms of the cricketers were raided by the police after the sting and cash was recovered which the trio could not explain.Butt was banned for 10 years, five of which were suspended, Asif for seven years, while Amir was suspended for five years by the International Cricket Council in earlier disciplinary action against the trio.

In the earlier match-fixing scams involving big names such as Hansie Cronje, Salim Malik and Mohammed Azharuddin, various judicial commissions had returned guilty verdicts but no cricketer had been criminally punished so far.The only previous conviction of sportsmen in the UK courts for cheating came in 1964 when three footballers, including two from Sheffield Wednesday, were jailed for throwing games.During the conviction, the Prosecutors had stated that Butt and Asif had been motivated by greed to “contaminate” a match watched by millions of people and “betray” their team, the Pakistan Cricket Board and the sport itself.

Prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee QC said the case “revealed a depressing tale of rampant corruption at the heart of international cricket.”

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F1 Indian Track

The nation’s first Formula One Grand Prix is set for a grand finale today with current world champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull on pole position and India’s Narain Karthikeyan starting from the 23rd position.It is poised to be a star-studded affair with the presence of Bollywood celebrities, business tycoons and much awaited performance of pop-star Lady Gaga.

Formula 1 has arrived in India and it is here for five years for sure. The moment one steps into the 875-acre Buddh International Circuit facility, it takes the senses some time to come to grips with the fact that this is a venue in India.Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull took all of a minute and 24 seconds on Saturday to complete the 5.14-km circuit and earn the first spot on the

Narain Karthikeyan was handed a five-place grid penalty for impeding Michael Schumacher’s car during the qualifying race, which means that the Indian will have to start his home Formula One Grand Prix from the 23rd position on the grid on Sunday.

The challenging nature of the gradient change in the track — it’s 14 degrees from the base at its highest point — and width that actively encourages overtaking sets up the Airtel Indian GP as one of the most exciting races of the season.

And the best bit is that it’s here to stay.

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The high-voltage summit clash was marred by Pakistan coach’s unwarranted action of constantly abusing Indian players from the roof of the stadium. Whenever there was an infringement from the Indian side, he abused liberally. And whenever the umpires blew against India, he hollered ‘Thank You’.

Rajpal Singh, Danish Mujtaba, Yuvraj Walmiki and Sarvanjit Singh scored for India in the penalty shootout while Muhammad Rizwan and Waseem Ahmed sounded the board for Pakistan after both the sides were locked goalless in the regular and extra time.

India started the shootout on a wrong note when Pakistan goalkeeper Imran Shah saved the shot from Gurwinder Singh Chandi. Sreejesh then came to the fore with a save off Haseem Abdul Khan. It was then Mujtaba’s turn and he neatly sent the ball past Shah to give India 1-0 lead.

Pakistan equalised when Rizwan scored but Indian captain Rajpal slotted the ball home to give his side 2-1 up. Then came the crucial save by Sreejesh as he stopped Shafqat Rasool from scoring, advancing and taking the shot on the pads.Yuvraj made it 3-1 and the Pakistan veteran Waseem cut the scores to 3-2 but Sarvanjit’s conversion past Shah ensured India ran out champion.

A last-minute goal by Firhan Ashari helped Malaysia beat Japan and clinch the bronze medal. Just when it seemed that the match would go into extra-time, Malaysia moved in from the right flank and the cross found Ashari on top of the circle. He tapped the ball to his left and, with a powerful reverse shot, beat the Japanese goalkeeper.South Korea avoided the wooden spoon beating host China 2-1 in the play-offs for the 5th-6th spot.Korea scored its opening goal in the 10th minute when Jong Hyun Jang converted a penalty corner. The lead was enhanced in the 28th minute when Ju Hun Kim slammed in a goal. China managed to score a consolation goal in the 62nd minute through Yixian Liu. The jubilant Malaysians celebrated their bronze medal while the Japanese crumbled on the turf, completely shocked.

Meanwhile in New Delhi, Hockey India will felicitate the Indian team on Tuesday for winning the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy. “It’s big moment for Indian hockey.,” Hockey India Secretary-General Narinder Batra said.

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After conceding a mammoth first innings lead 486, the Indians had to bat out of their skins to save the game but the famed batting line-up fell like a pack of cards yet again to give the hosts their second successive victory within four days.

James Anderson was the pick of the English bowlers as he ripped through the top order to finish with figures of fourfor 85 while Stuart Broad (2/28) and Graeme Swann (2/88) chipped in to provide the finishing touches to the emphatic victory.

The worst defeat for India till now is by an innings and 336 runs against the West Indies in Kolkata in 1958 and the hapless visitors managed to avoid that ignominy.

Gasping at 130 for seven at one stage, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (74 not out) and Praveen Kumar (40 off 18 balls) unleashed some lusty strokes during their 75-run eighth-wicket partnership to provide some entertainment and delay the inevitable.

Sachin Tendulkar (40) was the only other batsman who managed to score some runs in the second innings before being

tragically run our while most of the others played poorly on an Edgbaston track which certainly was not unplayable.What had been billed as a high-profile series between two top teams has been reduced to a complete mismatch with the Indians being made to look like pushovers.

England will now look for series clean sweep when they travel to London for the fourth Test beginning at the Oval from August 18.India had ascended to the top of the Test ranking table in December 2009 after beating Sri Lanka 2–0 in the three-match series at home.

After that, India drew the series against South Africa and Sri Lanka. Then they beat Australia 2-0 in October 2010, following it with another drawn series in South Africa.

But their inexplicably shoddy and listless performance against England has come as a big let-down, marking the first Test series defeat for captain Dhoni.

India, who resumed at their overnight score of 35 for 1, came off the wheels in no time and all the talk of a better resistance from the visitors in the second innings proved to be no better than rhetoric.

This is only the second time in last 11 years when India has lost or been down in a series by 3-0 margin. Sachin Tendulkar’s men had a similar unworthy distinction on the tour to Australia in 1999-2000 series.

India lost five wickets in the first session and the final four in the 90 minutes from the afternoon session.The overnight batsmen Gautam Gambhir (14) and Rahul Dravid (18) failed to add a single run to their totals. Both fell to James Anderson who also claimed VVS Laxman (2) to snuff the fight out of the visitors.

Graeme Swann had a hand in the other two dismissals —-claiming Suresh Raina (10) out leg before wicket and touching a back-drive on to the non-striker’s end which found Sachin Tendulkar (40) out of his crease.Rahul Dravid’s dismissal served as a big blow for India. He let go a wide delivery outside his offstump and nicked the next one to a delighted Matt Prior behind the stumps.

TV replays however showed that Dravid had not nicked the ball but surprisingly the veteran batsman did not opt for a referral.The afternoon session, against the run of the play, lasted a good 90 minutes as the visitors, through a mixture of luck and Dhoni’s slambang methods, added 128 runs from a mere 17-odd overs.

Amit Mishra played a few attacking strokes to race into 20s before Swann claimed his second wicket in his dismissal.Mishra, good while he lasted at the crease, left hitting against the break of Swann and lofting it to mid-off where Broad used his height to good advantage to pluck the overhead chance.Next man in Praveen Kumar was rattled when a James Anderson delivery reared up and hit him on his right thumb. The spirited medium-pacer looked in extreme pain and threw his helmet down on the ground in disgust.

After medical attention on the pitch, Praveen kumar vent out his anger on Graeme Swann, smashing him for three successive sixes over long on.Praveen survived a stumping chance off Swann in the next over when he came down the track to the off-spinner and edged it past keeper for four.Both Dhoni and Praveen Kumar clearly wanted to make hay while it lasted. Dhoni hit Anderson over the top of mid-off fielder and then swung him to the fine leg fence to raise 50-runs for the eighth wicket off a mere 28 balls.

The merriment came to an end when Strauss replaced Swann with Broad. Off the second delivery off the tall fast bowler, Kumar backed away to slash it over the off-side field but succeeded only in lobbing it for Ravi Bopara to take the catch.

Kumar’s entertaining knock of 40 came off only 18 balls and he hit five fours and three sixes. He added 75 runs off only 44 balls for the eighth wicket with his skipper.

India soon were nine wickets down when Ishant Sharma played back to Broad and was adjudged leg-before-wicket.Last man Streesanth, like a few before him, also took a body blow when a rising Broad delivery hit him in the stomach. A few deliveries later, Broad again hit him painfully on his right elbow.Dhoni tried to shield him by trying to manipulate the strike and the tactics was good enough to add 23 more runs to the total.It was obvious Sreesanth was living on borrowed time. Bresnan sent him a lifting delivery which he could only edge to point region.Dhoni remained unbeaten on 74, made off 79 balls in 123 minutes of batting and including 13 fours.

India have lost the series and the number one spot but more humiliation could be in store for them if they lose the fourth Test at the Oval. If it indeed happens, India would slip to number three while South Africa will take the number two spot.

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Defender Debabrata Roy and goalkeeper Subrata Paul were out for the rest of the match in the 21st and 24th minutes as they got red carded. India were left with just nine men for more than an hour in the match at Sheikh Khlaifa Bin Zayed Stadium. Hamdan Al Kamali (20th) and Mohamed Al Shehhi (29th) converted the spot kicks which resulted from the infringements by Roy and Paul in the 21st and 24th minutes. Abdulrahman Al Hamadi added a third in the 81st minute.

It was two needless fouls by Roy and Paul who picked up his second consecutive red card in a World Cup qualifier. Roy was guilty of pulling down Mohammed Al Shhehi in the 19th minute while Paul was red carded by Qatari referee Banjar Al Doasri for an infringement on Al Hammadi in the 23rd minute.Paul’s marching orders infuriated the Indian players and the game was held up for almost six minutes and it resumed only after the intervention of the Asian Football Confederation ( AFC)) officials.

India coach Armando Colaco had to make structural changes in the team by replacing a rusty Steven Dias, much to his displeasure, with Salgaocar goalkeeper Karanjit Singh, who did a great job in the remaining sixty minutes. Striker Sunil Chettri also fell back in the mid-field behind striker Jeje Lalpeklua.

UAE, however, couldn’t take much advantage of India’s miseries and never looked like a side that drubbed the visitors 5-0 in an international friendly last November.Indians were unable to create any goal bound moves and went into the break 0-2.In the second half India played a compact game as they were not left with much options. Colaco replaced an aggressive Mehtab Hussain, who picked up a yellow card, with crafty Jewel Raja Sheikh but fighting against a 11-man team was an uphill task for India.

The expected happened in the 81st minute after Al Hammadi scored the third from defence splitting a back heel by Abdul Rahman.After this loss, it will now be a huge task for India to progress to the next round as they need to beat UAE by a margin of four goals or more in the return leg on July 28 to move to the second round. Roy and Paul, India’s number one goalkeeper, will consequently have to sit out of that match at Ambedkar Stadium.

It won’t be an easy task for India as UAE are in top form, registering a 6-2 win over Lebanon 6-2 in a friendly match last Sunday. Coach Armando Colaco acknowledges that and maintains that his side will have to play their best if they wish to get the better of UAE. “UAE surely have the advantage but my boys are up for the challenge,” he said.

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