SC reserves order on spot-fixing panel
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on setting up a panel to probe allegations of spot-fixing and betting against some of the cricketers playing the Indian Premier League (IPL) and inaction by BCCI president N Srinivasan. A bench of Justice AK Patnaik and Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla reserved the order after it was told that Justice (retd) Mukul Mudgal has consented to head the panel to investigate these allegations. When Srinivasan’s counsel Mukul Rohtagi contended that his position should be restored if the court was entrusting the investigation to an outside agency, the court, not inclined to budge from its position to have an independent investigation, asked: “Do you think till investigations are over he (Srinivasan) should stay (as the head of the cricketing body?” As Rohtagi said there was no finding in the report against Srinivasan, Justice Patnaik said: “It is all in your interest and Srinivasan that we should not read it (allegation given to the court in sealed cover by Mudgal Committee) out in the open court.” (IANS)
Sterling banned for life by the NBA
NEW YORK: Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been banned for life by the NBA in response to racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also says he will try to force a sale of the Clippers and also fined Sterling $2.5 million. Silver called Sterling’s comments and views ”deeply offensive and harmful.” (AP)
Wimbledon boost for champ Murray
London: Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will be among the top seeds at this year’s tournament despite having slipped down the ATP world ranking to eighth, organisers announced on Tuesday. “We have a surfaced-based seeding system here at Wimbledon,” All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) chairman Philip Brook told a press conference at the tournament venue in south London. “So we take the ranking points of each player, and add to that the ranking points they hypothetically received last year on grass, and we add to that 75 percent of the best-performing tournament in the previous year. So to put it into context for Andy Murray, as winner of Queen’s last year and winner here last year, and a finalist here in 2012, there will be a significant impact on him. There will also be quite a significant impact on (Roger) Federer and (Novak) Djokovic. There will be some adjustment.” Organisers also defended a move to increase the prize money for first-round losers by nearly 15 percent to £27,000 (USD 45,400, 32,900 euros). Total prize money has gone up 10.8 percent to £25 million, with the winners of the men’s and women’s singles finals each in line to take home £1.76 million, compared to £1.6 million in 2013. (Reuters)
We are all monkeys, says Neymar after racial abuse on Barca star
London: Frustrated that racism is still prevalent in world football, Brazilian sensation Neymar has called himself and the ones subjected to discrimination on the basis of skin colour, nationality and ethnicity, “monkeys”, following Barcelona defender Dani Alves’ sensible handling of abuse during a La Liga game. Coming out in support of Alves, club team-mate and compatriot Neymar posted a photograph of himself on Instagram holding a banana while writing “We are all monkeys”. FIFA chief Sepp Blatter has issued a stern warning that no act of racial discrimination will be tolerated in the World Cup, following the incident for which Alves is receiving support of the global football community. (PTI)