The Hindu : Sports Digest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 18, 2002

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

Sports Digest

CRICKET: SYDNEY: As the debate over Steve Waugh's sacking continues amidst the public and media, even after the appointment of Ricky Ponting as his successor, Waugh's mother has said that the selectors have taken the backbone out of the Australian team. ``They have taken the backbone out of the one- day team and I hope the morale of the team does not suffer. Stephen and Mark are going to give 100 per cent. They will turn this disappointment into something really positive,'' Bev Waugh was quoted as saying by The Herald Sun. Mrs. Waugh said that she has been overwhelmed by the public support for her son. ``The best thing to happen from this shocking news has been the strong public support. I feel so proud because the people of Australia are behind us. People matter. They have more understanding of the game than some of the experts.''

NAPIER (NEW ZEALAND): England's cricket tour of New Zealand is not without its problems but there are no alarm bells ringing according to captain Nasser Hussain. Hussain, who led his side back from 3-1 down to square the recent one-day series against India, saw a weak all-around effort in Wellington on Saturday as New Zealand won the second one-day International by 155 runs. It now trails the five-match one-day series 2-0. ``Nothing concerns me - two games ago everyone was writing good things about us in India,'' said Hussain. ``Two games later we're not suddenly a bad side. Every now and then you have games like New Zealand did in Australia where the opposition simply outplays you. You have days like this and you have to pick yourself up. I firmly believe we have the ability to beat New Zealand, otherwise I wouldn't be here.'' Meanwhile, match referee Denis Lindsay of South Africa was reported to have stepped in to ease tensions between the teams. Lindsay asked captains Stephen Fleming and Hussain to cool their teams down after an incident in the first match in Christchurch. The Sunday Mirror in Britain said New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent claimed he was called a `cheat' by an England player while batting in Christchurch. The English were apparently upset after Vincent claimed a catch earlier in the match to dismiss Andrew Flintoff. ``If there is something going on between these two teams, I need to put a stop to it before it gets out of hand,'' Lindsay said.

FOOTBALL: MADRID: Valencia returned to the top of the Spanish league standings on Saturday, drawing 1-1 at Villarreal to climb ahead of Real Madrid, which earlier lost at Athletic Bilbao 1-2. In another 26th-round match, a header four minutes from time by Dutch international Patrick Kluivert crowned FC Barcelona's stirring 3-2 comeback victory over Deportivo La Coruna. Valencia has 44 points, one more than No. 2 Madrid and third-placed Barcelona, while Bilbao is fourth, a further point behind. In the 13th change of leadership in a dramatic season, an off-form Valencia secured the top stop again after Argentine international forward Pablo Aimar's equaliser seven minutes from time. Valencia fell behind in the 54th minute through Argentine international leftback Rodolfo Arruabarrena's diving header. Madrid suffered its third successive away league defeat after being completely outplayed by a competitive Bilbao.Inspired by Rivaldo's brilliance, Barcelona clinched victory through Kluivert's 86th-minute diving header after it had twice levelled against Deportivo at the Camp Nou stadium.

LONDON: Tony Adams, returning to the Arsenal line-up for the first time after a four- month injury lay-off, scored the go-ahead goal as the Gunners advanced to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup with a 5-2 win over first division Gillingham. There were no giant-killing surprises this time as Arsenal, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion all defeated lower division sides to reach the sixth round, with Middlesbrough beating Blackburn in the only game between two Premier League teams. Fulham made it to the last eight for the first time in 27 years by beating division one Walsall 2-1 on a superb 61st-minute winner by Barry Hayles. First division West Brom ensured its first quarterfinal appearance in 20 years with a 1-0 win over third division Cheltenham on a Danny Dichio goal, while a late strike by Ugo Ehiogu gave Middlesbrough a 1-0 victory over 10-man Rovers.

lWINTER OLYMPICS: SALT LAKE CITY: The following are the highlights of day nine at the Winter Games:

* Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Norway: top place in men's 12.5km pursuit to become the Games' first triple gold medallist and first biathlete to claim three golds in one Olympics. Raphael Poiree of France took silver and Germany's Ricco Gross collected bronze. Bjoerndalen began the event 29 seconds ahead of Germany's Sven Fischer based on results from Wednesday's 10km sprint. It was a sizeable lead that easily could have disappeared with a few missed shots. And it almost did, as Bjoerndalen missed his first shot and had to ski a penalty loop that cost him valuable time. But the three-time Olympian made up the time on the Soldier Hollow course and cruised to victory, even with another late miss. He made 18 of 20 shots total. The 28-year-old had blown away the field in the 20km individual race on Monday and won the 10km event two days later.

* Kjetil Andre Aamodt, Norway: won super-G for his second gold in four days and seventh Olympic medal, two more than any other Alpine skier in history. Austrians were next with silver for Stephan Eberharter and bronze for Andreas Schifferer.

* Gerard van Velde, Netherlands: speedskater set world record of 1m 7.18s in winning the 1,000 meters ahead of countryman Jan Bos. Van Velde finished fourth in two previous Olympic races. American Joey Cheek was the bronze medalist.

* Olga Pyleva, Russia: won the 10K biathlon pursuit. Germany's Kati Wilhelm took silver to go with the 7.5K gold she won three days earlier. Bulgarian Irina Nikoultchina won bronze. Sweden's Magdalena Forsberg, the greatest female biathlete ever, failed to medal.

* Australia's Steven Bradbury: the Aussie came from last to win the men's 1,000 meters short track speedskating only because the four other finalists wound up in a pileup on the final lap. It was Australia's first Winter Olympics gold.

* Yang Yang: won China's first Winter gold in the women's 500m speed skating.

Medals table after 39 of 78 events at the Winter Olympics (tabulated under Nation, gold, silver, bronze and total): Norway 7-5-0-12; Germany 5-8-5-18; Russia 4-4-2-10; United States 3-7-6-16; Switzerland 3-0-1-4; France 2-3-1-6; Netherlands 2-2-0-4; Finland 2-1-1-4; Italy 2-1-1-4; Canada 2-0-3-5; Spain 2-0-0-2; Austria 1-3-8-12; South Korea 1-1-0-2; China 1-0-2-3; Estonia 1-0-1-2; Australia 1-0-0-1; Croatia 1-0-0- 1; Bulgaria 0-1-2-3; Sweden 0-1-2-3; Japan 0-1-1-2; Poland 0-1-1- 2; Czech Republic 0-0-1-1.

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