Sreesanth, 17 others, get bail
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court granted bail on Monday to tainted Rajasthan Royals’ cricketer S Sreesanth and 17 others detained for alleged spot-fixing in the IPL 2013. According to reports, Sreesanth’s friend and alleged bookie Jiju Janardhan and cricketer Ankeet Chavan have also received bail by a court in Saket, South Delhi. A third Rajasthan Royals player arrested in the case, Ajit Chandila, had not applied for bail. The 18 accused will be released from the Tihar Jail on Tuesday and have been asked to surrender their passports. The accused were given bail as the court said there was not sufficient evidence to satisfy the charges under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) and they were not habitual offenders. Cricketers Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila and 15 bookies were under arrest for allegedly conceding more than a minimum number of runs agreed upon, in exchange for money from illegal bookies. Savitri Devi, mother of Sreesanth, said she was happy and relieved with the court verdict. The family was grateful to all the fans of the cricketer for their support and prayers, Savitri Devi told reporters here. “I am happy he has got bail,” she said. (UNI)
Spain advance to UEFA U-21 semis
Jerusalem: Spain beat Germany 1-0 to reach the semifinals of the 2013 UEFA U-21 championship here. Spain dominated the match on Sunday with 18 scoring attempts to Germany’s six. But Spain failed to take advantage of those chances until Alvaro Morata scored in the 86th minute. Morata’s goal not only secured Spain’s place in the semifinals but also eliminated Germany after a second straight defeat in Group B. In the other Group B match played the same day, the Netherlands thrashed Russia 5-1. (IANS)
Brazil beat France 3-0 in Confed Cup warm-up
Porto Alegre: Brazil scored three second-half goals to warm up for the FIFA Confederations Cup with a 3-0 victory over France. After a first half of few highlights at the Arena do Gremio Sunday, Chelsea midfielder Oscar opened the scoring in the 53rd minute by firing into the bottom corner following Fred’s cross from the left. Second-half substitute Hernanes then made it 2-0 when his left-footed shot rebounded in off the upright following Neymar’s clever first-time layoff. Paris Saint-Germain winger Lucas netted Brazil’s third from the penalty spot after Real Madrid defender Marcelo was brought down by Mathieu Debuchy in stoppage time. Hernanes’ goal was redemption for his dismissal during France’s 1-0 victory over Brazil at the Stade de France two years ago. The win was Brazil’s second since Luis Felipe Scolari replaced Mano Menezes as national coach in November last year. The host nation will open the Confederations Cup against Japan in the capital Brasilia on Saturday. The eight-team tournament, considered a dry run for next year’s World Cup, features each of FIFA’s six continental champions and European runners-up Italy. (IANS)
Olympic hero Hidayat to retire
Jakarta: Indonesia’s former Olympic and world champion Taufik Hidayat will this week bring down the curtain on a colourful career which made him one of badminton’s biggest stars and an icon in his home country. The 31-year-old will receive a rapturous and emotional send-off at the Indonesia Open in Jakarta, a tournament he has won six times with his distinctive, languid style which makes the fast-paced sport seem effortless. However, Hidayat’s chances of bowing out with a seventh win are low, with no major titles to his name in recent years and facing a tough field that includes the world number one and two, Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei and Chen Long of China. Hidayat – who famously wept at Athens 2004 as he was awarded Indonesia’s first Olympic gold medal – said he hoped spectators would support him “all the way, whatever the result is”. He will start against a qualifier on Tuesday. But the 2005 world champion is giving little away about his retirement plans, saying: “I will remain focused on helping develop badminton, but the details are still secret.” (AFP)