Sports India

Indian ace Arjun Atwal finished in the top-20 when he struck a five-under-par 67 in the final round at the B.C Open on Sunday.

Atwal, who is a six-time winner on the Asian Tour, ended the tournament in joint 17th spot alongside American duo of Skip Kendall and Scott Gump after a four-day total of 12-under-par 276. The 33-year-old talent produced his best round on the final day when he fired six birdies against a lone bogey at the US PGA Tour event.

Former Asian Tour regular Daniel Chopra slid down the leaderboard on the final round when he stumbled to a 73. The Swede finished in tied 41st position alongside American trio of Troy Matteson, Will MacKenzie, Cameron Beckman and Zambian Madalitso Muthiya with an eight-under-par 280 total.

Local hero John Rollins shot a 64 to finish as champion with a four-day winning total of 19-under-par 269.

Compatriot Bob May shot a similar score and finished one stroke off the pace in second spot while Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama fired a 65 for third place.

Jeev Milkha Singh continues his journey on the Japan Tour, as he tees up for The Golf Tournament, Omazaeki, at the Shizuoka Country Hamaoka Course and Hotel here today.

The 34-year-old Indian, who revels in playing tournaments rather than taking a break for training, has been playing on the trot for almost four months.

Jeev is now the highest ranked Indian in world rankings at 146th, moving ahead of Jyoti Randhawa (164th), Arjun Atwal (183rd) and Shiv Kapur (184th).

Starting with his win at the Volvo China Open in April, he has played every week, including the one before the US Open, where he played 36 holes in a single day to qualify for the US Open and has been achieving some terrific results.

In 14 tournament starts since then, Jeev has raked up a phenomenal performance of eight top-10 finishes and has missed the cut only twice.

He made the cut at the US Open finishing tied 58th and his other two finishes have been tied 21st at Wales Open and tied 31st Munsingwear KSB Open in Japan .

“I am playing well and enjoying it. So, there is no question of being tired,” said Jeev, who tied fifth last week at Sega Sammy Cup.

“I am hitting well and as long as I am in contention, I know I can win any week.”

Jeev is doing very well on the Order of Merit on all three tours. He leads the rankings in Asian Tour’s UBS Order of Merit; he is 19th in Japan and 35th in Europe.

At Omazaeki, Jeev is paired with Jun Kikuchi and Satoru Hirota in the first two rounds.

Arjun Atwal sparkled with a second eagle in three days to be tied 24th while Daniel Chopra fired five birdies to occupy tied 15th place in the USD 3 million B C Open at the Atunyote Golf Club Course.

Atwal’s eagle hitting effort at two on par-4 ninth hole for the second time in three days brought him a card of three-under 69.

Thanks to their effort, Chopra and Atwal moved up in the third round.

Chopra, who climbed up from tied 27th, is now nine-under 207 for three days. Atwal, from overnight 39th, is seven-under 209.

It was a rain-hit day with two delays, but nevertheless the round got completed in time.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Hjertstedt of Sweden overcame the rain delays to shoot a four-under 68 and take a one-shot lead after three rounds. Hjertstedt, the first Swede to win on the PGA tour when he captured the 1997 B C Open, was at 14-under 202.

In the last staging of the B C Open, Hjertstedt is attempting to join two other two-time winners, Joey Sindelar (1985, 1987) and Brad Faxon (1999, 2000).

Chopra had birdies on the first, third, 10th, 12th and 14th and his only dropped shot came on the ninth. With 29 putts, he came back in 68.

Atwal birdied the first and fourth and then stunned the spectators with his second eagle four on the ninth. He had holed a fairway shot on the first day, too. He dropped his only shot of the day on the 11th and carded a 69.

First-round leader mark brooks (66), who shot even par on Friday, made a turnaround and was tied for second with David Branshaw (68), and Scott Gump (69).

A steady rain and threat of thunderstorm forced a 98-minute stoppage of play in the morning. By the time the final group of Hjertstedt, Murayama, and Gump teed off, the wind had picked up and there was water on several fairways.

Play was halted again just before noon for another two hours.

If you had followed the rise of Jagmohan Dalmiya as a cricket administrator, from the relative anonymity of a middle-level club on Kolkata’s Maidan to the exalted corridors of the International Cricket Council, you will have known that no one can quite bend it like him.

Promises, appeasement, threats, the lure of money… he has used them all as he coaxed, cajoled or browbeat his way to what he wanted. It’s just that some ten months ago, he would bend more than he could mend.

The leak of Greg Chappell’s now famous e-mail on Sourav Ganguly, which most believe was done at Dalmiya’s behest to gain advantage in the murky build-up to the BCCI elections last year, has come back to haunt him as he prepares for another tumultuous elections - this time on a turf where he has long been considered the unquestioned king. Ganguly’s e-mail, obliquely referring to Dalmiya as the man who ruined his career , must have come as the biggest shock for the former ICC president.

It was his proximity to Ganguly that had always assured his support in a cricket-crazy state even as he roused a groundswell of opposition both within the BCCI and the ICC. Now the two of them stand on either sides of the battleline.

Ganguly may have woken up late, but it’s Dalmiya who must be spending sleepless nights now.

Despite Chappell’s declared dislike of Ganguly’s work ethos and the former India skipper’s own lack of form, the ‘Prince of Kolkata’ is a huge sentimental favourite in these parts and his falling out with Dalmiya could well be the beginning of the end for the latter. It is not just about Sunday’s CAB elections, which Dalmiya, the clever fox that he is, may still be hoping to pull off with the caucus that is still around him, but about the erosion of the remaining traces of credibility in the absence of Ganguly’s protective shield.

The former India skipper may be thousands of miles away, plying his trade for English county Northants, but Dalmiya has been left to fight Ganguly even before he can fight police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee for the CAB president, a post he has held for the past 14 years. Ironically, Dalmiya and his running mates in the elections have been left with no option but to discredit Ganguly and project him as being ungrateful. Yet, they dare not utter a word against the blue-eyed boy of Bengal cricket.

It just not adding up for the master of the numbers game.

On Monday, he had another ‘problem’ to put his mind to. The City Civil Court here appointed a retired judge as the independent observer for the elections. The last time a court made such a move, during last year’s BCCI elections, Dalmiya showed a healthy dislike for such ‘intervention’.

It’s an irony that the e-mail, the world’s modern mode of staying connected, should so signal in Indian cricket the ultimate breakdowns in communication. The one some 10 months ago had flagged the final rupture in relationship between Ganguly and Chappell. Now, another has had the former India skipper splitting with his ‘mentor’.

It was inevitable. Don’t blame the technology.

He has not exactly set county cricket on fire with his batting but the die-hard optimist in Sourav Ganguly refuses to give in and keeps chasing the dream of playing in next year’s World Cup in the West Indies.

Admitting he was struggling with the bat in his stint with Northamptonshire, Ganguly said, “…In England and at this time of the season, you need to survive the initial moments to go for a big score. I was not getting the start in the last few matches. But I have to make it big to be there.”

The unimpressive show notwithstanding, Ganguly is hoping for a comeback to the side he lead for long.

“Well, that (comeback) is something I believe I should. That is the reason why I am here at the County cricket. I know I have to perform to come back to the team and I am trying to do so,” he told Gulf News.

And despite his well-known poor relation with coach Greg Chappell and slipshod county form, Ganguly is hoping against hopes for a comeback before the 2007 World Cup.

“Well, if I thought it would not be possible, I would not have been playing now. That is a dream for me and I am chasing it. I need runs to back myself and if I can do so, it will be okay,” he added.

Asked if he liked the Twenty20 version of the game, Ganguly, whose side was beaten in the Twenty20 Cup quarterfinal, said, “You have to play the games as it is scheduled.

“The 240-balls game is a place where you have to hit it without thinking about anything else. This form of cricket has gained momentum here in England, people are coming to be part of the excitement,” he observed.

He also denied taking batting tips from Zaheer Abbas who is here as Pakistan team manager.

“Not really. We met after a long time and had some usual chat. Nothing else,” he said.

Ganguly had to retire in Northamptonshire’s match against Pakistan after his mistimed pull saw him dragging the ball onto his chin, which required two butterfly stitches.

Despite his disappointing show with the bat so far, Ganguly realises this is his best chance of making good scores to draw the selectors’ attention and he says he is enjoying the county atmosphere.

“It is as enjoyable as it was last year. I know I’m here for a few days and I have to do everything in this period. I earnestly hope that I shall be making my mark in the first class matches too,” he added.

Deposed India captain Sourav Ganguly has blamed mentor Jagmohan Dalmiya for forcing him out of the team, saying the former world cricket boss “played” with his career, media reports said yesterday.

In an extraordinary outburst, Ganguly accused Dalmiya of leaking the infamous e-mail from coach Greg Chappell last year that led to India’s most successful Test captain losing his place in the team.

Chappell, in the e-mail meant for Indian cricket chiefs, had said Ganguly did not deserve to remain captain since he was “selfish” and undermined the morale of the rest of the team.

“People who leak e-mails and sacrifice players’ careers should be heavily punished,” Ganguly wrote in an e-mail to his brother Snehashish from England where he is playing for Northamptonshire.

“There are people in the Cricket Assciation of Bengal (CAB) who are playing with players’ careers to suit themselves. They should not be allowed to go scot-free as it takes years of hard work to reach a certain level in sports.”

Ganguly’s explosive e-mail was released to the media by his brother ahead of the CAB elections on July 30 where Dalmiya is being challenged on his home turf by Kolkata police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee.

The influential Ganguly family has openly campaigned against Dalmiya, the former International Cricket Council president who lost control of the Indian cricket board last year.

A defeat in the CAB elections could end Dalmiya’s 36-year career as a cricket administrator that saw him organise two World Cups in the Indian subcontinent in 1987 and 1996 and made the region the financial hub of the sport. Asked to comment on Ganguly’s outburst, Dalmiya mocked: “What, another leaked e-mail ? I’m no longer in power in the Indian board, since I have nothing to give, I no longer expect loyalty.”

Dalmiya denied having leaked Chappell’s e-mail to the media last September.

“Chappell has already said that he wanted to send me that mail, but it bounced back repeatedly,” said Dalmiya. “So if I did not get it, how could I leak it?”

There is speculation that Ganguly chose to hit out at his mentor to please the current regime in Indian cricket led by political heavyweight Sharad Pawar and force his way back into the team.

Ganguly last played for India in the third and final Test against Pakistan in Karachi in February, but not many believe he can make a comeback.

“One argument is that pleasing Pawar may facilitate Sourav’s comeback. However, that can only be on the strength of solid performances,” said the Kolkata-based Telegraph newspaper yesterday.

“Sourav is struggling even in England for Northamptonshire. So, it’s debatable whether the e-mail helps. Yet, there’s little doubt many will now see Sourav as being ungrateful.”

It is widely known that Dalmiya influenced the selectors to pick Ganguly for his Test debut in 1996 and helped the former captain in his numerous run-ins with the ICC.

Sourav Ganguly once again failed to shine as his county side orthamptonshire crashed out of the Twenty20 championship

Sourav Ganguly once again failed to shine as his county side Northamptonshire crashed out of the Twenty20 championship by losing to Nottinghamshire by 63 runs. In a quarterfinal match played, Ganguly raced to 5 runs in as many balls, including a boundary, before being caught by Graeme Swann off Ryan Sidebottom.
Earlier, the Bengal player managed to pick the wicket of New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming (39) while bowling an expensive spell of three overs, giving away 39 runs. Nottinghamshire, with the help half-centuries from David Hussey (71) and Samit Patel (65) made 213 for 6. Northants could reach only 150 for the loss of six wickets.
However, it was a happy outing for ace leg-spinner Anil Kumble who claimed two wickets to help his county Surrey beat Gloucestershire by 80 runs and move into the last four. Mark Ramprakash (65) and R Clarke (79 not out) pushed Surrey to a formidable total of 224 for five and gave their bowlers enough runs to attack the opponents.
Surrey bowlers took wickets at regular intervals to keep Gloucestershire on the back foot. Kumble first crashed through the defence of a dangerous-looking Ian Harvey (23) and then removed tail ender J Averis (10), caught by A Brown, to bring the winning moment for Surrey. Nayan Doshi, son of former Test spinner Dilip Doshi, was the best Surrey bowler returning with 4 for 25.

Jyoti Randhawa and Shiv Kapur will mount the Indian challenge in the Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship of Europe, which carries a record prize money of euro 3.6 million.

Kapur, who missed the cut last week on his debut at the British Open, will play in the company of two Englishmen, Anthony Wall and Simon Khan, both of whom made the cut at the Major.

Wall was the highest finishing Englishman in tied 11th, while Khan was tied 31st. Wall, 12th in European Money list is also trying to squeeze into the Ryder Cup team, while Khan is 17th on Money List.

Kapur, playing as an affiliate on European Tour, is currently 110th and is trying to seal a card for 2007.

Randhawa is paired with David Bransdon and Christian Reimbold. Randhawa is currently 81st on Money List, while Bransdon is 108th and Reimbold is making only his second start on Main Tour.

The Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship of Europe has a classy field with the popular double Major Champion, John Daly of America also among the first players.

Also in the field are Sergio Garcia, David Howell and defending champion Swede Niclas Fasth. Daly was fourth last year. Fasth has been paired with Miguel Angel Jimenez and Lee Westwood.

Garcia, who went in the lead pair at the Open on the final day, is paired with Luke Donald and Paul Broadhurst.

The 100Plus Malaysian Junior Open to be held at the Saujana Golf and Country Club from Aug 15-18 is expected to draw leading junior golfers from 10 countries.

The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) president Datuk Thomas Lee said the hosting of the tournament is indeed an important event for the development of junior golf in the country and the region.

“A tournament like this attracts the best young international golfers, creating a platform for our juniors to compete against a strong field, thus improving their standard of play,” he told reporters after launching the event here Wednesday.

The event which received a massive boost when the country’s number one isotonic drink, 100Plus, announced its sponsorship today is expected to see the participation from at least 60 local junior golfers and another 60 from abroad.

The nine countries who have confirmed their participation are Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea and India while Malaysia, as host, makes it 10.

“These countries will be sending their best junior golfers for the tournament,” said Thomas Lee.

He added that many of the current professionals in the country like Danny Chia, Rahizam Ramli, Airil Rizman, Rashid Ismail, N. Ravichandran and Iain Steel had come through the mill of such junior events.

“Even Asian Tour star Jyoti Randhawa of India and Malaysia’s very own professional golfer Lim Siew Ai who are now playing in the US Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour, came through the ranks of junior events,” he said.

The tournament is open to junior golfers aged above 12 and below 18.

The 100Plus Malaysian Junior Open to be held at the Saujana Golf and Country Club from Aug 15-18 is expected to draw leading junior golfers from 10 countries.

The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) president Datuk Thomas Lee said the hosting of the tournament is indeed an important event for the development of junior golf in the country and the region.

“A tournament like this attracts the best young international golfers, creating a platform for our juniors to compete against a strong field, thus improving their standard of play,” he told reporters after launching the event here Wednesday.

The event which received a massive boost when the country’s number one isotonic drink, 100Plus, announced its sponsorship today is expected to see the participation from at least 60 local junior golfers and another 60 from abroad.

The nine countries who have confirmed their participation are Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea and India while Malaysia, as host, makes it 10.

“These countries will be sending their best junior golfers for the tournament,” said Thomas Lee.

He added that many of the current professionals in the country like Danny Chia, Rahizam Ramli, Airil Rizman, Rashid Ismail, N. Ravichandran and Iain Steel had come through the mill of such junior events.

“Even Asian Tour star Jyoti Randhawa of India and Malaysia’s very own professional golfer Lim Siew Ai who are now playing in the US Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour, came through the ranks of junior events,” he said.

The tournament is open to junior golfers aged above 12 and below 18.