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Asian Voice | 10th September 2016
India to focus on shooting, badminton in future Olympics
India may now concentrate on only three or four sports that can guarantee the country medals at the quadrennial games like Olympics. Shooting, despite the misses in Rio, and badminton figure in the medal sports listed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Wrestling and boxing may be included, but only after they show effort good enough to match world standards. "If Japan, Cuba, Uzbekistan and Korea can win medals by concentrating on two or three sports, we too can," a source said. The line of thought differs drastically from the eight or nine sports identified for special attention after the London Olympics. With many athletes from this list - which included archery, athletics and weightlifting - failing to make a mark in Rio, SAI officials feel it is best sports and games are graded and treated accordingly. Besides medal-winning disciplines, SAI has divided sport into two other categories: one to be pursued
Abhinav Bindra
PV Sindhu
for excellence, the other for participation. Two factors have gone into creating the list: One is how India measures up against global competition; and two, the talent base, grassroots and junior programme in the sport. Athletes in medal sports will get the best of facilities and competitive exposure, besides, of course, the funds from the Target Olympic Podium scheme as a top-up. Those in the second and third categories will also be part of the camp and exposure routines, but to an appre-
Bopara linked to unapproved Indian T20 league Former England allrounder Ravi Bopara has reportedly been agreed to play for an unsanctioned Twenty20 league called the Indian Champions League (ICL), which may take place in December in Dubai. The Magpie Group - a company based in India – said that it would be played in Dubai between eight teams but that they had not yet met with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to discuss the tournament or seek approval. They have also not yet approached the Emirates Cricket Board about holding the tournament at their grounds. No formal details of the tournament have been issued but an ICL Facebook page lists eight teams and a number of players who it claims have signed to be part of the tournament, including Bopara and Ryan Ten Doeschate, the Essex players. The list also includes Danish Kaneria, the former Pakistan and Essex leg spinner, who is serving a life ban from cricket for match-fixing. Manish Kumar Choudhary of The Magpie Group said that Salman Butt, the former Pakistan captain who had finished serving the ban from the ICC, also agreed to play in the tournament. The Federation of International Cricketers’
Ravi Bopara
Associations (Fica) has warned its members including the Professional Cricketers’ Association in the UK - not to allow players to sign up for the tournament as it has not been sanctioned by the ICC. “Fica has been advised that the proposed ‘Indian Champions League’ event scheduled to take place in December 2016 is not yet sanctioned. Accordingly, players are advised that playing in this event could have negative implications on their careers. The event is currently deemed to be disapproved cricket under ICC Regulations,” a Fica spokesperson said. Bopara and Ten Doeschate refused to comment when asked by The Times about the link to the ICL. Meanwhile, Moeen
Ali and a number of other England players have been approached to take part in the fully sanctioned Pakistan Super League (PSL), which will take place in Dubai in midFebruary 2017. Although the exact dates are yet to be finalised, it is expected to take place during a window in England’s schedule before they go to the West Indies for three one-day internationals at the end of February and beginning of March. It is believed that Andrew Strauss is keen for England players to play in Twenty20 tournaments around the world, where the schedule allows, and that the ECB would allow their players to play in the tournament if the timing fits with their England commitments.
ciably lesser extent. They will not get any TOP funding, the source said. "Athletes in the second category will be expected to pursue excellence, reaching the semi-finals, quarterfinals or the final rounds of their events. We have pushed archery to the second rung as we feel that, despite many opportunities, they have not been able to perform at the highest level," the source said. "In the third category, we only expect athletes to participate in large numbers. Gymnastics figures in this
group despite Dipa Karmakar's heroics at Rio as we know that unearthing good talent in this sport is not going to be easy." All three categories will be backed by comprehensive sport science experts with focus on physical fitness and mental strength. Hiring of coaches, too, will undergo a big change. "We will avoid Russians as the country has been hit by allegations of doping. We will also avoid those from the former Soviet Bloc. Exceptions can be made for coaches with an unblemished record. Coaches will be hired after thorough background checks and a strict performance appraisal system. Currently, federations have a huge say in the hiring of a coach. Henceforth, SAI will go beyond recommendations from sports federations which will serve as just one of the inputs. These coaches will also have to take active part in the indigenous coaches development programme," the source says.
India A clinch Quadrangular series in Australia India A rode on a solid allround performance to clinch the Quadrangular one-day series, thrashing Australia by 57 runs in the final on Sunday. Electing to bat after winning the toss, India A put up 266/4 in their 50 overs before bowling out the hosts for 209 in 44.5 overs. Mandeep Singh was the star of India’s batting performance with a 108-ball 95, which was laced with 11 hits to the fence. Mandeep, who was named Player of the Match, combined with captain Manish Pandey (61) to steer India to what turned out to be a winning total. Shreyas Iyer was also vital with his 41 runs. Australia had four wickettakers with one scalp each. In reply, Cameron Bancroft (34) and Nic Maddinson
started well, but it was Yuzvendra Chahal (4-34) who was the ultimate winner from the innings, taking key scalps and bringing the game India A’s way. Australia A skipper Pete Handscomb (43) combined with Alex Ross (34) to edge closer to the total, but the back end of the game went completely in the tourists favour as they claimed the last five wickets for just 26 runs. India A have now claimed the last three ‘A’
series, defeating Australia A on each occasion in the final. The other two teams in the series were South Africa A and the Australian National Performance Squad. Brief Scores:India A: 266/4 in 50 overs (Mandeep Singh 95, Manish Pandey 61, Chris Tremain 1/42). Australia A: 209 in 44.5 overs (Peter Handscomb 43, Yuzvendra Chahal 4/34).
'Mini IPL' plans in USA on hold BCCI president Anurag Thakur said the Cricket Board has put on hold plans of hosting a 'mini IPL' in the USA, with T20 Internationals being seen as the preferred platform to reach out to the American market. The main hurdle, according to Thakur, was the time zone difference. "I think we must understand the time difference. IPL is seen in India from 7 to 11 or 11.30 at night. So you have to play somewhere in the east coast in (USA) so (that)
the timing matches. If we have to play in the day there, the matches should be seen in India at night because broadcasting is a big thing. So you can't make your home fan lose (by) playing outside India. So which are the provinces you can play in United States? That's a big task," Thakur was quoted as saying. He added, "IPL, we are not even thinking of hosting it outside India. It has to be hosted in India, but there are many other options
what you can do which we'll let you know over a period of time when we come out with a long-term plan for this market." The BCCI had announced the idea of a 'mini IPL' or 'IPL overseas' in June when Thakur had said the board would host the tournament in September. A final approval was awaited though. The USA and UAE were options being discussed at the IPL governing council and working committee meetings earlier this year.