Under-fire Kean gets owners backing
London: English Premier League Blackburn Rovers’ owners have backed their underfire manager Steve Kean and refused the calls from fans for his ouster. Under Kean, Rovers have gathered four points from their opening seven Premier League games this term prompting fans to go on a protest march with ‘Kean Out’ banners. Rovers are currently on a tour of India and secured a 3-0 win over 10-man Pune in an exhibition match Friday.The Venky’s family, who own the club, believe Kean will steer the club in the right direction. “The team is in the relegation zone now but it’s going to come up, I am sure of that,” Co-owner Balaji Rao was quoted as saying in SkySports. “We do know a few people have been generating thousands of emails demanding the ousting of Steve Kean, who is a brilliant manager. “But we know the team is going in the right direction and we are very positive about the way the team is performing and the way it is going.” The club is currently placed second from bottom in the standings. (IANS)
Anand held by Nakamura in Bilbao
BILBAO: Victory eluded Viswanathan Anand yet again and the world champion was held to a draw by Hikaru Nakamura of United States in the seventh round to remain joint second in the fourth Final Masters’ second leg. After his fifth draw, a sole victory and a loss, Anand remained on a 50 per cent score in the category-22 super tournament being played on a double round-robin format. In a shocking result, Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk suffered his first loss in the second leg at the hands of tailender Francisco Vallejo Pons of Spain. After a rocking start that fetched him three wins in the first half, and an another one against Nakamura, Ivanchuk was subdued by Pons in a tense game wherein he fell under time pressure. With just three rounds to come in the event, Ivanchuk still leads the tables with 13 points in his bag and the quartet of Anand, Magnus Carlsen of Norway, Levon Aronian of Armenia and Nakamura follow him five points behind.Pons, with his second victory in the tournament, escalated himself to seven points but that as yet is only enough for the solo last-place in the soccer-like scoring system. After the game against Nakamura, it seems like the Indian ace needs to catch back on his winning ways through his preparation that went haywire against the American. (PTI)