Quote:II World Cup Chess (October 2002): Harikrishna and Humpy were on hand at this event, fittingly held at Ramoji Film City, leading a star-studded field but Vishwanathan Anand took home the men’s prize



IMG on board (August 2003)This is the one Naidu’s banking on to bring in the really big bucks. In exchange for government-owned land, Hyderabad will get sports academies, entertainment and theme parks. And then there’s the IMG roster, including Tiger Woods; if he lands up once a year, Naidu will feel it’s worth it...



Formula 1 Powerboat racing The least-known of all planned activities, deal likely to be signed on October 17. Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city could then see boats racing at speeds of 220 kmph...



Afro-Asian Games (Oct-Nov 2003) The Big One. Forget the participants, the government is aiming to impress the Commonwealth Games and other officials who turn up. To get the Bigger One

Quote:A punishment posting has proved quite rewarding. When NIS, Patiala’s football coach Dr SS Chawla got a transfer order to Kurali, a remote suburb near Chandigarh, disgusted with what he calls ‘‘office politics’’, he thought of quitting. But fortunately for Kurali he didn’t take the easy option and took it up as a challenge.



Call it coincidence or the fact that sporting success was somehow fated for this town, Chawla and his athletics’ coach wife Usha were followed by another ‘coach couple’. Family circumstances forced weightlifter Devinder Sharma and hockey Olympian wife Nisha to shift here. Suddenly for Kurali’s traditional sporting talent, which over the years had mostly gone untapped, expert guidance was now available in their backyard.

Quote:NEW DELHI: While India were taking on Pakistan in the Asia Cup hockey final in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, one player, who could have held the spotlight, was tethered to a hospital bed in Delhi. Even though his physical presence lay here, his soul was far away -- with his mates in Kuala Lumpur.



Penalty corner specialist Jugraj Singh, who survived a terrible accident early this month, was airlifted to the Capital hospital aboard a helicopter provided by the hockey team sponsors Sahara. He was admitted to Batra hospital for further treatment after 26 days at the Dayanand Hospital in Ludhiana.



"I want to get back to the field at the earliest. I wanted this one (win) very badly. It will certainly do a lot for my speedy recovery," smiled Jugraj, who was mobbed by television channels in room number 534 of Batra hospital. "My colleagues have fulfilled the promise they made to me."



"I spoke to everyone in the team before the match and tried to motivate them," he said. He spoke to skipper Dhanraj Pillay, coach Rajinder Singh, Gagan Ajit Singh and Ignace Tirkey.



Jugraj, who watched the match on TV in his hospital bed, became very emotional after the third goal by Ignace Tirkey. "I had a feeling that India would win. The team always bounced back after a bad match. An this was their day," he said kicking his left han in the air.



Asked to pick up a player who mattered most, Jugraj said "They all played as team and deserve all credit. Tirkey was simply brilliant in defence."



"I wish I was there to celebrate with them," he added.



It may be recalled that skipper Dhanraj Pillay had said that "the team would try his best to win the match for Jugraj."



The members of the Indian team have been in constant touch with the player since his accident.



Regarding the treatment, Jugraj said "it is upto the doctors to decide whether he should go abroad for treatment."



Dr Laljee Kent, who is attending to the Punjab player, said "the general condition is stable." The senior consultant of orthopaedics added that the condition of his fractures will be reassessed with a fresh set of X-rays and a physiotherapy regimen would then be implemented.



According to the Indian hockey Federation officials Narendra Batra and Suresh Sharma, the federation is in touch with United States Olympic Association for inputs on Jugraj's treatment. "The federation is firmly behind him. A final decision will be taken within a couple of days after the arrival of IHF president KPS Gill."



It's rare for people and officials to stand behind a player during times of distress. One can only hope this is not a one-off occurrence.

Quote:National champion Pankaj Advani upset top seed Paithoon Phonbun of Thailand by six frames to two to enter the semi-finals in the World Snooker Championship at Jiangmen, China, on Thursday.

Quote:India began its campaign in the men's hockey tournament at the Afro Asian Games with a fluent 5-1 victory over Africa champions Egypt, in Hyderabad, on Thursday.



Prabhjot Singh (5th, 56th minutes) and Gagan Ajit Singh (44th, 67th) scored two goals each and Deepak Thakur (38th) one in the big victory.

Quote: Significantly, it was India's first-ever match under lights at home and the hosts reveled in the conditions.

Quote:National champion Pankaj Advani stormed into the final of the World Snooker Championships, being played in Jiangmen, China, after easily beating fifth seeded Brendan O'Donoghye of Ireland 8-3 in the semi-finals.