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Rogge won’t tip hand on next US Olympics COLORADO SPRINGS: If there’s any sense of urgency to bring the Olympics back to the United States, the president of the IOC isn’t tipping his hand. In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Jacques Rogge said returning the games to big countries for instance, the US after a drought of at least 20 years - is no more or less important than someday taking them to Africa. Rogge has carefully cultivated this down-the-middle approach in his 10 years as the IOC’s leader. He offered neither encouragement nor discouragement to the US, which pumps the most money into the Olympic movement but is guaranteed to go at least two decades between taking its turn as host. “It’s important that the games come back there,” Rogge said of the US, China and Russia, the three countries generally considered the biggest in the Olympics. “But we are also very happy to bring games to regions or subcontinents or continents where they’ve never been organized. One day, the games will be held in Africa and that will be a very important aspect.” China hosted the 2008 Olympics and Russia will host the Winter Games in 2014. Rio de Janeiro will host the first Olympics in South America in 2016. The US last hosted in 2002 - the Salt Lake City Winter Games. Neither the US nor any African country bid for 2020, meaning the next American chance would be for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Africa’s next best chance won’t likely come until 2024. Rogge, whose term expires in 2013, won’t be around to see either of those games awarded and would not bite when asked which was closer to holding an Olympics. “ To win the games you have to bid,” he said. “If you don’t bid, you have no chance.” The US Olympic Committee says it won’t bid until it resolves a long-simmering feud with the IOC over revenue sharing. Currently, the USOC receives a 20 percent share of global sponsorship revenues and a 12.75 percent cut of US broadcast rights deals. The IOC wants more of that money. Negotiations were fast-tracked over the summer in an apparent attempt to iron something out in time for the USOC to meet the September deadline to bid for 2020. But no agreement was reached and any plans were put on hold. Last month, however, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said the federation always remains interested in bidding. “I think 20 years is long enough,” Blackmun said. “I think it’s important that we host the games in the United States as a way to keep Americans connected to the team.” In the interview Tuesday, Rogge agreed with Blackmun’s sentiment, but said, “the ones who will benefit the most will be the USOC, of course.” “ The Olympic movement, as a whole, would benefit from coming
back to major countries on a regular basis,” Rogge said. “But at the same time, we need to have openings for new horizons and for regions where no games were ever organized.” Denver has been mentioned as a potential 2022 candidate. Rogge said he didn’t know enough about Denver’s
COLORADO SPRINGS: International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge speaks during an interview. —AP infrastructure to comment on its viability. Denver was awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics but later turned them down - a historical footnote that Rogge said would not work against the Mile High City if it were to bid again. “The issue of Denver is not an issue anymore,” Rogge said. “ There is absolutely no grudge whatsoever in the IOC for what happened in Denver more than 40 years ago.” Rogge was visiting Colorado Springs, the home of the US Olympic Committee, for the first time since he became president in 2001. He was in town for the IOC Athletes’ Forum, which made its biggest news this week by recommending to the IOC that athletes convicted of “deliberate and aggravated” doping offenses should receive a lifetime Olympic ban on their first offense. Most first offenses carry a two-year suspension. In other doping news, Rogge said he was surprised by a ruling that will allow American sprinter LaShawn Merritt back in the Olympics next year. But, Rogge said, the IOC will fight to uphold the spirit of the rule in the future. Last week, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the IOC-supported rule that bans any athlete who has served a doping suspension of more than six months, as Merritt had, from competing in the next Olympics. Rogge said he respected the CAS ruling but was surprised by it because the same body had given the IOC different feedback in an advisory opinion when the rule was passed three years ago. Rogge said the IOC will try to have the ban included in World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines that will be revised in 2013. “We respect the judgment,” Rogge said. “Our juridical team will have to discuss and study that.” —AP
The Higher Organizing Committee of the Asian Airgun Championship hold a press conference at the Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex.
Kuwait to host Asian Airgun Championship By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: The Higher Organizing Committee of the Fourth Asian Airgun Championship announced that 33 countries will participate in the championship, to be hosted by Kuwait between Oct 1723, at Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex. The Committee held a press conference at the complex, and was attended by Deputy Chairman of the Committee Eng. Duaij al-Otaibi, Secretary General of Arab and Kuwait Shooting Federations Obeid Al-Osaimi Director General of Asian Shooting Confederation Eng. Mohammad Al-Ghurba, Technical Director Jasni Shari and Public Relations Director Abdelrazaq Al-Tayyar. Al-Otaibi said the opening ceremony will be on October 18th at Martyr Fahad Al-Ahmad Hall at the complex. He said competitions will be at 10m airgun range, with the participation of nearly 500 shooters and 120 officials. Al-Otaibi said, meetings of ASC
General Assembly will be held in Kuwait during the championship and Sheikh Salman is expected to win a new 4-year term as president as he is running unopposed. Al-Otaibi said “Hosting a championship at this level and number, makes Kuwait proud and affirms its pioneering status at all levels” adding “we were surprised by the large number of participating countries, as we expected 17 Asian countries to compete”. He said the shooting ranges are ready, as specialized international companies made all the necessary maintenance and made sure all is up and running. Kuwait will participate with 25 shooters, in 12 competitions for men and women. Al-Otaibi, on behalf of Sheikh Salman Al-Hmoud and organizing committee members thanked His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad, the government, Deputy Chief of the National Guard Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad, Public Authority for Youth and Sports, and other government authorities for their support.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011
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Dhoni faces challenging task in England series HYDERABAD: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni gets a chance for revenge against England when he leads his team in a one-day series starting here Friday but his team is still handicapped by injuries. India was beset by injuries on its recent tour of England when it failed to win a single game, and Dhoni must hope that being back on home soil will help redress the balance between the two teams. Dhoni leads his team at home for the first time since India won the World Cup in April. Opener Gautam Gambhir makes a return but others like batting star Sachin Tendulkar, big-hitter Virender Sehwag, pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, allrounder Yuvraj Singh and seamer Munaf Patel are not in the team for the first two games in Hyderabad and New Delhi because of injuries. Spinner Harbhajan Singh has been dropped after some unimpressive performances in international cricket, leaving the bowling attack woefully short of experience. Selectors also ignored pace bowlers Ashish Nehra and Shantakumaran Sreesanth, leaving India with only five players - Dhoni, Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin - who were in the World Cup squad. Selectors have picked uncapped leg-spinner Rahul Sharma while preferring off-spinner Ashwin over Harbhajan. The pace bowling attack led by Praveen Kumar lacks experience, with Varun Aaron and left-armer Sreenath Aravind still to be capped and Vinay Kumar and Umesh Yadav yet to prove themselves. “Compared to the past, they are an inexperienced side and the bowling in particular looks depleted in the absence of Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh,” Cook said on arriving in India. “But their players know the conditions well.” England, which was involved in a highscoring last-ball tie in its last game against India on Indian soil during the World Cup in Bangalore, has warmed up well by winning two practice games played with new ICC rules that include the use of two new balls one from each end.
Runner disqualified for taking bus LONDON: After crossing the finish line in third place and smashing his personal best, Rob Sloan celebrated and boasted how he’d just completed an “unbelievably tough” marathon. It turns out things weren’t quite what they seemed. Sloan, organizers say, had actually dropped out 20 miles (32 kms) into the race, hitched a ride on a spectator shuttle bus and emerged from the woods near the finish line to make the podium. After initially describing claims that he cheated in Sunday’s Kielder Marathon near Newcastle as “laughable,” Sloan admitted his transgression following an investigation by organizers. “People in cars following the bus saw him get on and off. People saw him run through the bushes - we had him hook, line and sinker,” Dave Roberts, one of the marathon organizers, told The Associated Press yesterday. “Rob was distraught at having to come clean.” Sloan was stripped of his third-place result. Fellow competitors and bosses of Sloan’s running club, the Sunderland Harriers, criticized the runner for tainting an event labeled by organizers as “Britain’s most beautiful marathon.” Steven Cairns, who moved from fourth to third following Sloan’s disqualification, accused his rival of “stealing my glory.” “I was third the whole way but somehow I crossed the line and was given fourth!” Cairns said on his Facebook page. “I started to doubt myself as he was adamant he had gone past me. I could understand him taking the goody bag and the T-shirt but to do the press interview claiming he was third...” A day after winning a 10-kilometer race at the same location, Sloan ran out of stamina with 6 miles (9.6 kms) remaining in the marathon. Then came the bus ride and shortcut through the woods to the finish line. Sloan’s time was given as 2 hours, 51 minutes - 21 minutes faster than his previous best in the race. “I’m convinced it was not premeditated,” Roberts said. “But he felt rough, pulled out and flagged down a bus. It’s as bad as drugtaking in my book because it’s attempting to improve your performance by cheating. I’ve never known anything like it.” Sloan will go before a district committee this month as part of an inquiry into his actions, and faces the prospect of being banned from future marathons. “We are pleased this matter has been cleared up,” said event director Steve Cram, a former world record holder and world champion in the 1,500 meters. “Mr. Sloan made a mistake and has apologized to us for the confusion it has caused.” Cram will travel to the Scottish city of Edinburgh, where Cairns lives, next week to give him his third-place medal. One of the most famous cases of cheating in a marathon came at the Boston Marathon in 1980, where Rosie Ruiz was the first woman to cross the finish line but was disqualified when officials discovered she jumped into the race about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the end. —AP
The team is here without injured allrounder Stuart Broad and experienced seamer James Anderson who has been rested, leaving Tim Bresnan and Steve Finn to carry the responsibility of bowling along with offspinner Graeme Swann. England’s batting though looks more set-
Gandhi Stadium which will host the first game on Friday. The other one-day games will be held in New Delhi (Oct. 17), Mohali (Oct. 20), Mumbai (Oct. 23) and Kolkata (Oct. 25). The tour culminates with a solitary Twenty20 game in Kolkata (Oct. 29).
HYDERABAD: England’s cricket captain Alastair Cook (right) and India’s captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (left) pose with the trophy after its unveiling at a function in Hyderabad. —AP tled with Kevin Pietersen getting a chance to consolidate his position after being rested for the home one-day series against India. Ravi Bopara struck a neat 73 in a 56-run win over local side Hyderabad XI in the team’s first practice game, while Jonny Bairstow’s blistering 104 not out off 53 balls capped a string of good batting performances by Cook (85), Jonathan Trott (74) and Craig Kieswetter (71) that helped win the second by 253 runs. In bowling, pace bowler Finn produced a hat-trick in the first game while upcoming leg-spinner Scott Borthwick claimed 5-31 in the second to test conditions at the Rajiv
Teams: India: Gautam Gambhir, Parthiv Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Manoj Tiwar y, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rahul Sharma, Vinay Kumar, Praveen Kumar, Varun Aaron, Sreenath Aravind, Umesh Yadav. England: Alastair Cook (captain), Craig Keiswetter, Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Jonny Bairstow, Graeme Swann, Scott Borthwick, Samit Patel, Tim Bresnan, Steve Finn, Chris Woakes, Jade Dernbach, Stuart Meaker. —AP
Pakistan players plotted to oust one-day captain Afridi LONDON: Pakistan cricketers plotted to oust former one-day captain Shahid Afridi from his position by underperforming, a court heard on Tuesday. During the fifth day of the alleged Pakistan spot-fixing trial at London’s Southwark crown court, the jury was played recordings that suggested members of the team wanted test captain Salman Butt to lead Pakistan in one-day cricket as well, rather than Afridi. The comments were made by the agent at the center of the allegations, Mazhar Majeed. “There’s a thing going on with the players,” Majeed was heard to say. “A lot of the boys want to (mess) up Afridi because he is trying to (mess) up things for them and he’s the captain of the Twenty20 and oneday (sides). They all want Butt to be captain.” Majeed went on to say that Butt and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal would “waste” two or three overs when batting, to slow Pakistan’s scoring rate during one-day matches and undermine its chances. His statements were recorded during a covert sting operation by undercover journalist Mazher Mahmood for the nowdefunct British tabloid The News of the World. Former Pakistan captain Butt and fast bowler Mohammed Asif are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments. Butt, Asif and Pakistan teammate Mohammed Amir are accused of conspiring with Majeed to bowl deliberate no-balls in the fourth test against England at Lord’s in August of last year. Butt and Asif deny the charges. Majeed and Amir aren’t required to appear in court.
Other revelations from Tuesday’s proceedings were that Majeed was offered $1 million for Pakistan to lose the 2010 test at The Oval - a match they eventually won. The offer came from an unnamed contact in India. During an audiovisual recording, Majeed told his contact: “Boss you know how many we’ve got, you know that they do it, so of course that’s not a problem.” He added to the undercover journalist after the call had ended: “See what I mean? There’s big, big money in results boss I tell you. You can see that.” The court also heard from a witness who works in anti-corruption that there was no evidence to support an unsubstantiated claim made by Majeed on Monday that Australia are the “biggest” match-fixers in the game. Butt’s legal representatives sought to discredit Majeed by noting a series of his more outrageous claims and barrister Yasin Patel, working under Ali Bajwa QC on Butt’s team, asked senior International Cricket Council anti-corruption officer Alan Peacock about the Australia claim. Peacock, who has worked with the ICC’s anti-corruption unit since its inception in 2000, denied having any knowledge of Australia fixing matches. “We have no evidence (of this),” Peacock said. Other claims made by Majeed that Butt’s team raised included his alleged involvement in arranging a $18.7 million publishing deal for the autobiography of Manchester United and England footballer Rio Ferdinand, as well as a $6 million deal for the autobiography of recently retired Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. The case continues. —AP
GDANSK: Sweden’s Persson eyes the ball as he plays against Germany’s Timo Boll during their match in the Men’s Team Final at the European Table Tennis Championships. —AP