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SUNDAY CHRONICLE June 19, 2016
IOC backs ‘strong’ IAAF stance on Russia (REUTERS)-The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ended any slim hopes that Russian athletes might have had of competing at the Rio Games in August by backing the IAAF’s decision to extend its ban on the country for systematic doping yesterday. The IOC said in a statement it “fully respects” Friday’s ruling by world athletics’ governing body (IAAF) to maintain its suspension of the Russians. The IOC added “the eligibility of athletes in any international competition including the Olympic Games is a matter for the respective international federation.” That was exactly what IAAF president Sebastian Coe said on Friday after the IAAF Council voted unanimously to retain the ban on Russia competing in any athletics events. Rune Andersen, who heads the IAAF task force overseeing Russia’s attempts to reform, said on Friday that
a “deep-seated culture of tolerance, or worse, appears not to be materially changed”. “No athlete will compete in Rio under a Russian flag,” hesaid.
IOC president Thomas Bach He and Coe will therefore be relieved that the IOC came to the same conclusion after a teleconference of its executive committee yesterday. IOC president Thomas
Bach had earlier this month given Russia hope that his organisation might overrule the IAAF at its own meeting next week over concerns that innocent athletes would be punished, saying he “refused to speculate” whether the IAAF vote would be the end of the issue. Russian President Vladimir Putin also appeared to retain hope of a change when he said on Friday: “We’ll talk to our colleagues at the anti-doping body, and I hope there’ll be an appropriate response from the International Olympic Committee.” The only Russian athletes who might now compete in track and field in Rio are a handful -- thought to be fewer than five -- who are based outside the country and can apply to the IAAF for special dispensation to compete as independents. It is the first time the country, which finished second behind the United States in the track and field medal table in the 2012 Games,
Chigumbura blasts Zimbabwe to win over India
Elton Chigumbura celebrates after reaching his fifty against India in Harare. (REUTERS)-Elton Chigumbura smashed an unbeaten 54 from 26 balls as Zimbabwe stunned India with a two run win in the first Twenty20 International at the Harare Sports Club yesterday. Chigumbura pummelled seven sixes as he took Zimbabwe to 170 for six in their 20 overs having been sent into bat by the tourists. India lost opener Lokesh Rahul on his Twenty20 debut in the first ball of their reply, but they went into the final over from seamer Neville Madziva needing eight to win. That was reduced to four off the last ball with Mahendra Singh Dhoni on strike, but he
could only bludgeon the ball to deep point and Zimbabwe celebrated a second consecutive victory over India in the 20over format. Aside from Chigumbura, Malcolm Waller (30 from 21 balls) and opener Hamilton Masakadza (25 from 15 balls) gave Zimbabwe their highest score against India in Twenty20 cricket. India were behind the run-rate for much of their innings, but Manish Pandey (48 from 35 balls) kept them in the hunt until the last over. With Dhoni on strike it looked like advantage to the tourists, but Madziva bowled a succession of excellent yorkers to limit India to five runs. Aside from Rahul, the visitors handed 20-over debuts to batsman Mandeep Singh, seamer Jaydev Unadkat, all-rounder Rishi Dhawan and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. The second Twenty20 match will be played at the same venue tomorrow.
will be absent since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles which they, along with several other Eastern Bloc countries, boycotted. An IOC Olympic summit in Lausanne next Tuesday is still due to discuss the issue, along with reports that Russia put in a place a complex system to beat anti-doping measures at the Winter Olympics that it hosted in Sochi two years ago. “The IOC will initiate further far-reaching measures in order to ensure a level playing field for all the athletes taking part in the Olympic Games Rio 2016,” the organisation said on Saturday. “The upcoming Olympic summit on Tuesday will address the situation of the countries in which the National Anti-Doping Organisation has been declared non-compliant by WADA for reasons of the non-efficient functioning of the national anti-doping system.”
Emergency funds for Rio ahead of Olympics - source By Alonso Soto BRASILIA, (Reuters)-The Brazilian government plans to transfer 2.9 billion reais (592 million pounds) in emergency funds to the state of Rio de Janeiro to pay for infrastructure and security during the Olympic Games, a government official told Reuters yesterday. A day earlier the governor of Rio declared a state of financial emergency as a drop in revenues caused by a crippling recession and a slump in oil prices has left state coffers depleted ahead of the games that start on Aug. 5. The funds would be used to pay for security personnel and finish a much-delayed metro line to the Olympic venue, said the official who is familiar with the discussions and asked for anonymity because he is not allowed to speak publicly. Rio’s financial crisis threatens to disrupt public services during the Olympics
Perera century secures series win for Sri Lanka
Kusal Perera’s century stole the show as Sri Lanka beat Ireland by 136 runs to secure a 2-0 series win.
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Sunday June 19, 2016)
COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)
Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) 7 ducks; 3 ‘first ball’ ducks (2) 116 players
Today’s Quiz:
(1) How many runs Australia’s David Warner has scored in the Tri-Nations series to date? (2) How many Tests and ODIs Warner Park, St. Kitts has hosted to date?
Answers in tomorrow’s issue
when 500,000 foreign visitors are expected to visit the beach-side city known for its natural beauty. The Brazil Olympics have already been marred by political turmoil that led to the suspension of President Dilma Rousseff and an outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus that has been linked to brain malformation in babies. The federal government was already considering an emergency loan to Rio after it missed several debt payments with multilateral banks in May. The missed payments complicated the release of a 1 billion-real loan from the state development bank BNDES to finish the Line 4 of the Rio metro system. Interim President Michel Temer is expected to announce the emergency funds in a Monday meeting with several governors who are asking him for debt relief for their cash-strapped states. The finance ministry’s press office declined to comment for the story.
SRI Lanka’s preparations for the upcoming one-day internationals against England continued in fine style as Kusal Perera’s century helped the tourists to a 136-run victory over Ireland. After Angelo Mathews’ men won the first game in the two-match series by 72 runs, they again piled up a massive score to give Ireland little chance of victory in Malahide. Perera’s 135 featured 18 boundaries as Sri Lanka put 147 on the board for the opening wicket before Danushka Gunathilaka (63) was run out by Andy McBrine. The day went from bad to worse for Ireland’s bowlers, however, as Seekkuge Prasanna hammered a brutal 95 from just 46 balls - clearing the ropes nine times - to put Sri Lanka in a virtually unassailable position. Cameos by Farveez Maharoof (29) and Mathews (24) led Sri Lanka to 377-8 from their 50 overs, with Tim Murtagh’s 3-66 the best of a rotten bunch of bowling figures for the associate outfit. Suranga Lakmal (4-38) removed openers Will Porterfield (8) and Paul Stirling (22) to put Sri Lanka further in control, with only John Anderson’s 34 providing resistance in the middle order. Number eight McBrine made a breezy 79, including a pair of sixes, to add an air of respectability to the result, before he was caught by Kusal Mendis off the bowling of Mathews, leaving Ireland all out for 241 and giving Sri Lanka a 2-0 series win ahead of their first game against England, at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.(Omnisport. com).