The Hindu : Sport Digest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 12, 2002

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

Sport Digest

SQUASH: KARACHI: Former world champion Jansher Khan of Pakistan has announced the end of his retirement from international squash, saying he is fit enough to regain his old form. ``I have been training for the last three months and am now feeling fit enough to stage a comeback in international squash and regain my old form,'' said Khan. The 33-year old Khan has won eight World titles and six British Open crowns during an illustrious career between 1987 and 1999. He announced his retirement on his 32nd birthday in June 2001 at Lahore. ``After playing three, four minor level tournaments in Pakistan I will play the qualifying round of a major event, hopefully in the next year,'' he said. ``I have taken this tough decision after watching a serious slump in Pakistan squash.'' After two knee operations in 1997, Khan failed to regain full fitness and his last competitive match resulted in a first round defeat to Jonathan Power of Canada in June 1999. Khan's rival, compatriot Jahangir Khan, said he was surprised by the player's return.

CRICKET: ISLAMABAD: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has decided to promote cricket in Afghanistan and China as it included both the countries in its next phase of regional game development. ``The International Cricket Council (ICC) and ACC have helped Afghanistan in the past and the war-ravaged country is included in our next phase of development,'' The News today quoted ACC Development Manager for Asia Zakir Hussain Syed as saying. Besides football, cricket has emerged as one of the most popular sports in Afghanistan, which is recovering from decades of war. He pointed out, ``Afghanistan has a special place in the development programme and we will make our all-out efforts for Afghan cricket.'' The ICC accepted Afghanistan as an affiliate member on the request of Pakistan and an Afghan cricket team, led by Allah Dad Noori, featured in Pakistan's domestic tournament last year.

TENNIS: WASHINGTON: Andre Agassi will try to bounce back from his ATP quarterfinal loss to top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt here next week at the $800,000 Washington Classic. The five-time Washington winner will have a first-round bye as a top seed at the hard-court event, his final tune-up for the U.S. Open, barely a fortnight away. Rising American star Andy Roddick, the 2000 winner here, will be the second seed, followed by Dutchman Sjeng Schalken and defending champion Alex Corretja of Spain. Chile's Marcelo Rios, a wild-card entry, grabbed the fifth seed followed in order by American James Blake, Sweden's Thomas Enqvist and Finland's Jarkko Nieminen. Swiss star Roger Federer would have been among the Washington favourites. But he withdrew from the event to attend to funeral of his first tennis coach, who was killed in an auto accident while on vacation in South Africa.

BRISBANE: Former two-time U.S. Open champion Pat Rafter said he's too busy enjoying fatherhood to consider making a tennis comeback. ``I'm a long way behind getting back on the tennis court, that's for sure,'' Rafter said. ``It's a really long process. No, at this stage, no I'm really enjoying it (the break).'' Joshua Patrick Rafter was born on August 1, the first child for Rafter and his girlfriend, Lara Feltham. Rafter has been on a yearlong break from tennis. Rafter said Joshua was doing well, but needed ``fattening up'' before making the planned move to Sydney from their rented beachfront apartment in Noosa, north of Brisbane. ``He's getting some sleep, I'm getting some sleep _ my girlfriend is probably not getting as much as I am,'' Rafter said.

MUNICH: A lawsuit seeking 1.5 million euros ($1.46 million) will be filed against tennis star Boris Becker next week, adding to the retired tennis star's financial problems. Focus weekly said the bankruptcy administrator for Becker's former internet service provider Sportsgate will file the suit on Tuesday on behalf of the creditors owed money from the failed enterprise. The exact figures Becker owes in back taxes have never been released, but Focus reported the tennis star has until the end of August to come up with $5.15 million for an out-of-court settlement.

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