New guidelines for Arjuna Award formed
New Delhi: The sports ministry, in its bid to avoid controversies, issued fresh guidelines on Friday for the selection of sportspersons for the Arjuna Awards. According to the new guidelines, 90 percent weightage will be given to winners of medals at various international championships and sports events of disciplines covered in Olympics (Summer, Winter and Paralympics), Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. The new guidelines will come into effect from this year. Winners of medals in Olympics and Paralympics will automatically be considered for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna or Arjuna Awards, depending on the type of medal won, if they have already not been conferred with either of the two top awards. The sports ministry has worked out its own formula according to which 90 marks will be given to the sportsperson getting maximum points. The rest of the sportspersons will be given marks proportionately. For example, if a sportsperson ‘A’ has got highest points, say 45 points as per the formula, and another sportsperson ‘B’ has got 40 points, then ‘A’ will get 90 marks and ‘B’ will get (90×40/45) 80 marks. The sports ministry has also decided to give 10 percent weightage to the marks given by the selection committee for assessment of the eligible sportsperson keeping in view factors like profile and standard of the sports events in which he/she has won medals and qualities like leadership, sportsmanship, team sprit, fair play, sense of discipline. (IANS)
Venus to face Ivanovic in Auckland final
Auckland: Former World No. 1 Venus Williams set up a final clash with former Grand Slam champion Ana Ivanovic after her compatriot Jamie Hampton withdrew from Friday’s semi-final due to an injury. Organisers issued a brief statement just hours before the pair was due on centre court, saying World No. 28 Hampton had withdrawn, but giving no details of the injury. However, it was reported that Hampton had injured her hip in a warm-up earlier in the day and had decided to withdraw in order to compete in the year’s first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, starting next week. Meanwhile, Ivanovic secured her place in the final after a hard-fought semifinal battle against Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens in the semifinal play-off. The Serbian took just 21 minutes to win the first set 6-0 after making just two unforced errors against 13 by Flipkens. Flipkens fought back in the second set, holding serve until the tiebreak, when she ceded points on service. Despite losing the early advantage with a double fault, Ivanovic took four consecutive points to take control of the tiebreak, winning the 50-minute set 7-6. Ivanovic and Williams, who are both playing in New Zealand for the first time, have been the star attractions of the Auckland tournament, which ends with the final on Saturday. (IANS)
Ton-up Mathews helps Lanka foil Pak
Abu Dhabi: Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews hit a pugnacious hundred to pull Sri Lanka out of trouble on the fourth day of the first cricket Test against Pakistan in here on Friday. Mathews notched up 116 not out under pressure for his second Test hundred and put on invaluable 138-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Dinesh Chandimal (89) and 99 for the unfinished sixth wicket with Prasanna Jayawardene (48 not out) to take Sri Lanka to 420/5 at close at Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Sri Lanka resumed the day at 186/4, but Mathews’ career-best score and resolute innings by Chandimal and Prasanna helped Sri Lanka add 234 runs for the loss of only one wicket. They now lead by 241 runs and with five wickets intact can harbour hopes of an unlikely win on the fifth and final day or at least salvage a draw. Mathews batted with resolve, blunting off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and had the better of Pakistan’s three-pronged pace attack, reaching his hundred in the final session, taking two off Bhatti. His hundred came off 239 balls. In all the Sri Lankan captain batted for 370 minutes, hitting 12 boundaries and six off Ajmal, who conceded 96 runs in 42 wicket-less overs. Neither Mathews nor Chandimal were bothered at all and even the second new ball, taken at 249/4, failed to benefit Pakistan with a wicket as Sri Lanka reached 285/4 at lunch. (AFP)