Russian swimmers set new world records

Russian swimmers Anastassia Zueva and Yulia Efimova have set new world records for the women's 50m backstroke and 100m breaststroke. The 18-year-old Zueva, from the region of Penza in central Russia, clocked 27.48 seconds during the preliminary contest at the Russian Championships, chopping 0.19 seconds off the old record on Tuesday. The previous 50m backstroke record was first set by Australian Sophie Edington at the Australian Olympic trials in March 2008 and then equaled by Zhao Jing on April 9, 2009. Another Russian swimmer, Yulia Efimova, set a new European record for the women's 100m breaststroke with 1 minute and 5.80 seconds on the same day. Yefimova, who turned 17 this month, managed to shave 0.08 seconds off the old mark, which was set by Australia's Jade Edmistone in Melbourne in January 2006. "It's a big, big surprise for me. But to break it twice in a day is just unbelievable," Yefimova said. "Still, I value my European 100m record more than the one I set today," she added. "I regard the 50 more as a training event for the 100 and 200."

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Barcelona, Chelsea end in goalless draw

Barcelona and Chelsea have played a goalless draw in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal at the Nou Camp. The Spanish club enjoyed the vast majority of the possession but it was unable to find a way through to goal. Barcelona head coach Pep Guardiola noted that Chelsea had played very cautiously with effectively six defenders. "It's never easy to play well when the opposition is not playing football," he said. "I am proud of my players," he added. "You can be sure we will go to London with the same attacking spirit." However, Chelsea head coach Guus Hiddink defended his team for preventing Barca's forward line from scoring. "It was not an easy match to play and we will have to improve in some areas for the next game, but overall I am happy as we defended very well," said Hiddink. The English side will host Barcelona at Stamford Bridge next Wednesday. Two other English teams, Manchester United and Arsenal will play the other semifinal match later today.

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Man City discusses Eto'o with Barca

Manchester City and Barcelona officials have reportedly discussed the possible transfer of Striker Samuel Eto'o to the Blues. According to BBC Sports, the two clubs discussed the chance of reaching a deal on the Cameroon player during their Monday meeting. The 28-year-old Eto'o, who was put on the transfer list last season, has been in his best form since Pep Guardiola took over as Barcelona manager. The report comes while Eto'o had said in February that he wanted to stay at Camp Nou afterthe end of his contract in 2010. "Of course I want to continue, I'm very happy and see no reason to leave," he told TV station Canal Catala. "I'm going to stay to the end of my contract and if the club wants me, I would like to stay longer." Manchester City has already shown interest in big names such as AC Milan's Kaka. The club however has no place in next season's Champions League.

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Barca restores 6-point lead at La Liga

Barcelona has restored its six-point lead over Real Madrid at the La Liga standings after crushing third-placed Sevilla 4-0 at the Nou Camp. The hosts took the lead after Andres Iniesta curled in a terrific long-range opening goal that gave the stand-in goalkeeper Varas no chance after just two minutes on Wednesday. "We are going for everything this season," Iniesta said. "We played well tonight, scored good goals and got the points. We have difficult games against Valencia and Chelsea coming up so we can't relax and have to keep on going." "Things went well for me tonight," he added. "There were good sensations for us during this match." Samuel Eto'o managed to double the advantage in the 16th minute when he struck his 27th goal of the campaign. Midfielder Xavi Hernandez then extended the lead with a 20-yard (18 meter) shot into the top corner of the net after the restart and Henry then bagged his 16th goal of the season five minutes later. The victory was all the more impressive as it was snatched without Argentine talisman Lionel Messi who was out due to stomach pains. Barcelona has now 81 points through 32 games in the Spanish soccer league while their arch-rival Real Madrid has 75 points.

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Esteqlal's AFC-CL hopes up in smoke

Esteqlal is held to a 1-1 against Qatar's Umm-Salal to almost lose its glimmers of hope for reaching the AFC Champions League's second round. Having secured only two points from the last four matches, Esteqlal needs at least six points from its remaining two games to secure a place in the next round. Right before the break when Arash Borhani put Esteqlal ahead, only to see Umm-Salal's Ghanem equalizing the game in the 70th minute. Esteqlal remained in the fourth place with 2 points, on lower goal difference with the UAE's Al Jazira standing third. Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad and Umm-Salal both have seven points with the former topping the group on goal difference and with a game in hand. Esteqlal, tipped as favorite to wing Iran's Premier League trophy, also sees its title challenged by Zob Ahan, which leapfrogged the Blues two weeks ago to lead the table. Esteqlal has to beat Payam in the final day of the season, knowing that Zob Ahan will claim the IPL title even with a single point from its match against Foulad. AFC Champions League Wednesday fixture and results Group A Al Ahli (UAE) vs. Al Hilal (KSA) Pakhtakor (UZB) vs. Saba (IRI) Group C Al Ittihad (KSA) vs. Al Jazira (UAE) Esteqlal (IRI) 1, Umm-Salal (QAT) 1 Group E Beijing Guoan (CHN) vs. Ulsan Hyundai (KOR) Newcastle Jets (AUS) 0 Nagoya Grampus (JPN) 1 Group G Suwon Bluewings (KOR) 2, Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 1 Kashima Antlers (JPN) 5, Singapore Armed Forces FC (SIN) 0

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Real Madrid seals 3-2 victory over Getafe

A stoppage time winner by Gonzalo Higuain has led the 10-man Real Madrid to an impressive 3-2 victory over derby rivals Getafe. Striker Roberto Soldado headed Getafe into an early lead after ten minutes, but Higuain jumped on a defensive lapse to score the equalizer before the break at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday. The game gathered pace from the 84th minute after Getafe retook the lead after substitute Juan Angel Albin put the team ahead 2-1. Two minutes later, Real Madrid made a second come back when Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrez netted a free kick. Real Madrid defender Pepe was then red-carded for a series of aggressive actions that began with a shove on Javier Casquero inside the area. Pepe then kicked Casquero in the back as he lay on the ground before stamping on the Getafe midfielder several times. Moments later Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas managed to save Casquero's low-chipped penalty. Getafe players let a point escape their grasp after Higuain sealed the victory to ensure that they stay in the Spanish champions title race. The victory improved Madrid to 75 points, three behind league leader Barcelona, which can reclaim its six-point lead with a victory over Sevilla on Wednesday.

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Liverpool ties 4-4 against Arsenal

Andrey Arshavin's four goals have helped Arsenal secure a 4-4 draw against Liverpool in the English Premier League soccer match at Anfield. The 27-year-old Russian broke the deadlock on Cesc Fabregas's cross against the run of play after 36 minutes on Tuesday. But two goals by Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun, Liverpool's most dangerous player, in the 49th and 56th minutes put Liverpool in command. The lead only lasted nine minutes. Arshavin then equalized in the 67th minute and completed his hat trick just three minutes later. Liverpool, however, came back again two minutes later as Fernando Torres beat Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski -- but the drama was not over yet. After Arshavin had bagged his fourth goal in the final minute, Benayoun leveled deep into injury time. "It is really disappointing because we conceded four goals and normally we were not conceding these kind of goals," Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez said. "We made massive mistakes. It is difficult to explain because it was different players in different stages of the game.” The result hands a huge advantage to Manchester United, who have two matches in hand with the first tomorrow at home to Portsmouth. The draw took Liverpool -- at least temporarily -- back to the top of the Premier League on goal difference with Manchester United with 71 points. Arsenal remains in fourth with 62 points, moving to within 5 points of third-place Chelsea.

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Chelsea reaches FA Cup final

Guus Hiddink's side has reached the FA Cup final after coming back from a goal down to defeat Arsenal 2-1 in a close game at Wembley. Theo Walcott volleyed Arsenal ahead in the 18th minute but Chelsea's equalizer came from the unlikely source of winger Florent Malouda just before the break on Saturday. Six minutes from time, Chelsea striker Didier Drogba pounced on Frank Lampard's lofted pass to give the Blues their first FA Cup success over Arsenal since 1947. The Ivory Coast striker has now scored eight goals against Arsenal since joining Chelsea from Olympique Marseille, including a late winner in the League Cup final in 2007. "This is a huge step to be in the FA Cup final because it's so respected worldwide," Hiddink said on Saturday. Chelsea now can win three titles, the Premier League, the Champions League, and FA Cup -- all of which also contested by Manchester United that has already secured two other trophies: The Carling Cup and the Club World Cup. Facing Barcelona in a Champions League semifinal, Chelsea will play the FA Cup final on May 30 against either Manchester United or Everton which play in the other semifinal on Sunday. United will face Arsenal in the other Champions League semifinal.

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Mourinho: Inter is the best

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho says Saturday's draw with Juventus has proved his team deserves to win its fourth straight scudetto. Juventus escaped a home defeat at Turin's Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, thanks to Zdenek Grygera's injury-time equalizer. "I like playing in the stadium of an historic club, drawing and seeing all the joy of a team that can return home with a 10-point advantage," Mourinho told reporters. The draw did not help second-placed Juventus narrow Inter's 10-point lead with six games left to the end of the season. "Today we showed why we're top of the league, because we are the best, the strongest," he said. "Mathematically it's not yet over so we won't claim the title. Juve's joy at the final whistle showed how highly we are thought of." Mario Balotelli gave Inter the lead after 64 minutes, but Grygera equalized the match in injury time although Juve played with 10 men after Tiago was sent off in the 75th minute. Juve coach Claudio Ranieri admitted that the bianconeri's 28th scudetto was out of reach, saying his aim was securing Juve's second place. "I am satisfied with a draw given we had a man less and were down by a goal. We must take lots of points and then see what happens. We want to make sure of second spot," he said. Juve is three points ahead of third-placed AC Milan, which will face 17th-placed Torino on Sunday. Fourth-placed Genoa suffered a knock to their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League after losing 1-0 at home to Lazio in another Saturday match.

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Nadal advances to Monte Carlo semifinals

Defending champion Rafael Nadal of Spain has managed to advance to the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters claycourt tournament. The Spanish star beat Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti 6-3 6-0 in a match held over from Thursday due to torrential downpours. The four-time defending champion Nadal then defeated Croatian Ivan Ljubicic 6-3 6-3 later in the day to join the last four. "It was a tough day but (I got) two good wins without losing a set," Nadal said. "That is good news, the best news is I'm in the semi-finals. I'm very happy for that,” he added. "I played less than three hours, that's always important. The first match was not long and I was totally a hundred percent in the second." Meanwhile, fourth seed Andy Murray also stormed into the semifinals after he defeated Italian Fabio Fognini and then came back in the evening to battle past Russian eighth seed Nikolay Davydenko 7-6 6-4 on Friday. "It was a long day," said Murray. "I'm rather looking forward to getting to my bed. It was a long first set (77 minutes), but I played a good tiebreaker and I came back from 4-1 down in the second." The Scottish national Murray must now meet Nadal in the semifinal clash.

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Blatter urges fair play in AFC polls

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has called for discipline and restraint in the battle for power within the Asian Football Confederation. "Football is a universal sport based on the fundamental principles of discipline and respect for opponents and the laws of the game... underpinned by the values of fair play and ethics," Blatter said in a statement on Thursday. "These principles and values must be applied not only on the field of play, but also in the administration and governance of football, particularly, in the area of sports politics,” he added. "And, of course, this includes elections to the governing bodies of football. "As president of FIFA, it is my duty to remind all members of the Asian football community of the importance of these values in the run-up to the election scheduled for May 8 for the vacant Asian seat on the FIFA executive committee," the head of the sport's world governing body explained. Blatter's remarks come as relations between Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed bin Hammam and his chief rival, Bahrain's Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, plummet. Bin Hammam has said he will step down as AFC chief if he loses the FIFA seat, despite the fact that his term does not expire until 2011. The victor will be determined at the AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur on May 8.

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Esteqlal draws 1-1 against Saipa

Tehran's popular soccer team Esteqlal has been held to a 1-1 draw by Saipa in the 33rd week of the Iranian Premier League (IPL). The Blues dominated the game from the outset, attacking many times, but broke the deadlock after 88 minutes at Azadi Stadium on Thursday. The IPL top scorer, Arash Borhani, converted a penalty after Khosro Heidari was brought down by defender Kazem Borjlu in the penalty box. Borjlu attempted to make up for his own mistake and managed to head in a free kick from the right in the last minute of the game, considerably weakening Esteqlal's hope of grasping the championship. Esteqlal manager Amir Qalenoi said his men could have scored more goals if they hadn't wasted their chances. “Even though we didn't use our chances of scoring very well, I'm satisfied with my players. I apologize to the fans as we failed to get the three points of the game,” Qalenoi said. “We will use everything in our power in the next match against Payam to gain the IPL championship,” he added. Esteqlal can win the championship if they defeat Payam in the last match of the league and Zob Ahan loses to Foulad on April 26. In another Wednesday match, the IPL leader Zob Ahan snatched a 3-0 victory against Malavan in Isfahan. Zob Ahan currently tops the standings with 66 points while Esteqlal sits in the second place on 63. Mes is placed third with 58 points.

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Gunners outclass 10-man Villarreal 3-0

Arsenal sets up an all-English semifinal against Man United after crushing Villarreal 3-0 in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg. Theo Walcott put the Gunners ahead with a superb chip over goalkeeper Diego Lopez after 10 minutes at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. Togo forward Emmanuel Adebayor doubled the lead by delivering a knockout blow on the hour. Dutchman Robin van Persie calmly converted a penalty nine minutes later after a foul on Walcott to underline the north Londoners' superiority in the game. Disappointing Villarreal played the last 21 minutes with 10 men after the referee sent Sebastian Eguren off for arguing over the penalty decision for his second yellow card. "We sent out a very offensive team and we played in a convincing way. I was very impressed with the quality and speed of our game," Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said. "Villarreal have a good technical level but we gave them problems they didn't like. We were very explosive on the counter-attack," he added. "It is a test to play United next but a challenge you relish and we are excited about that." Villarreal manager Manuel Pellegrini, however, expressed disappointment over his men's performance in the game. "They were better than us. The second goal made it very difficult to come back, although we still had a chance," Pellegrini said. "I am disappointed. We wanted to get through to the semi-finals but they were better than us even before the sending off, so we have no complaints," he explained. The Gunners will now clash with reigning European champions Manchester United in a semifinal match after Sir Alex Ferguson's side beat Porto 1-0 on Wednesday and 3-2 on aggregate.

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United beats Porto 1-0 to reach semis

Manchester United has advanced to the semifinals of the Champions League following a 1-0 victory against FC Porto at Dragao stadium. The World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo silenced the home crowd by scoring the opener after six minutes on Wednesday night. The Portuguese star took a swing of his right foot and unleashed an unstoppable shot from 35-yards into the top left-hand corner of Helton's goal. "That was maybe one of my best strikes," Ronaldo said. "Anderson gave me the ball and when I turned I knew I was going to go for a shot. It was intentional." The United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was in awe of Ronaldo's outstanding goal. "It was unbelievable. It was a magnificent hit," Ferguson said. "To do it at that point in the game gave us a real platform to go into the game," he added. "We wanted to start the game quickly with good tempo ... but to get a start like that, no one can expect it, no one can expect that type of goal." The two teams drew 2-2 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter final tie at Old Trafford on April 7. Ferguson's men must now face English rival Arsenal in the semifinals after the Gunners beat Villarreal 3-0 to advance 4-1 on aggregate. Chelsea will meet Barcelona for the other place in the May 27 final in Rome. "It's two good football teams so it should be a fantastic semifinal," Ferguson said. "We'll look forward to it."

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Chelsea trounce Liverpool, Barca win on aggregate

Chelsea and Barcelona are to meet in the UEFA Champions League semi-final clash after both teams drew with their rivals but won on aggregates. In an 8-goal thriller, England's Chelsea, last year's beaten finalists, fought back in their second leg semi-final match against Liverpool from 2-0 down at half-time at Stamford Bridge, London, to manage a four-all draw, which meant a 7-5 win for them on aggregate. Separately, the Catalan giants Barcelona eased through as expected after a 1-1 draw against Germany's Bayern Munich for a 5-1 aggregate. Six minutes into the second half, Didier Drogba opened scoring for Chelsea with a cross from Nicolas Anelka. At the 57th minute it was Alex firing a fearsome free-kick past goalkeeper Pepe Reina to restore the two-goal aggregate advantage. And later Frank Lampard made it 3-2. But this did not last for long. A deflected Lucas Leiva shot reawakened Liverpool's hopes, and when team-mate Dirk Kuyt headed in another one, there were only seven minutes to the final whistle. Lampard, scoring his second of the game for Chelsea, finished the show with only two minutes to go. He drilled the goal that, at last, proved decisive for the Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink, making it 4-4. The Blues' Ashley Cole will miss the first leg of the final through suspension. Barcelona, meanwhile, managed an easy 1-1 draw with Bayern but won on a 5-1 aggregate. The Catalans' place in the final had been virtually decided in the first leg when Barcelona beat Bayern 4-0. Frenchman Franck Ribery gave Bayern the lead early in the first-half but that was wiped out when Seydou Keita scored in the 73rd minute. No Spanish side has ever won the treble of League, Kings Cup and Champions League, but Barcelona are on course to take all three titles as coach Josep Guardiola hopes to lead the Spaniards to a third European title after 1992 and 2006.

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Chelsea trounce Liverpool, Barca win on aggregate

Chelsea and Barcelona are to meet in the UEFA Champions League semi-final clash after both teams drew with their rivals but won on aggregates. In an 8-goal thriller, England's Chelsea, last year's beaten finalists, fought back in their second leg semi-final match against Liverpool from 2-0 down at half-time at Stamford Bridge, London, to manage a four-all draw, which meant a 7-5 win for them on aggregate. Separately, the Catalan giants Barcelona eased through as expected after a 1-1 draw against Germany's Bayern Munich for a 5-1 aggregate. Six minutes into the second half, Didier Drogba opened scoring for Chelsea with a cross from Nicolas Anelka. At the 57th minute it was Alex firing a fearsome free-kick past goalkeeper Pepe Reina to restore the two-goal aggregate advantage. And later Frank Lampard made it 3-2. But this did not last for long. A deflected Lucas Leiva shot reawakened Liverpool's hopes, and when team-mate Dirk Kuyt headed in another one, there were only seven minutes to the final whistle. Lampard, scoring his second of the game for Chelsea, finished the show with only two minutes to go. He drilled the goal that, at last, proved decisive for the Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink, making it 4-4. The Blues' Ashley Cole will miss the first leg of the final through suspension. Barcelona, meanwhile, managed an easy 1-1 draw with Bayern but won on a 5-1 aggregate. The Catalans' place in the final had been virtually decided in the first leg when Barcelona beat Bayern 4-0. Frenchman Franck Ribery gave Bayern the lead early in the first-half but that was wiped out when Seydou Keita scored in the 73rd minute. No Spanish side has ever won the treble of League, Kings Cup and Champions League, but Barcelona are on course to take all three titles as coach Josep Guardiola hopes to lead the Spaniards to a third European title after 1992 and 2006.

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Barcelona protects lead in La Liga

Barcelona has opened up a nine-point gap at the Spanish League summit with an easy victory against Recreativo Huelva at Camp Nou. After just 46 seconds, Andres Iniesta scored the opener when Thierry Henry's centering pass skipped past four Recreativo players and goalkeeper to slide into the empty goal. The Spanish national player created an own-goal in the 68th to secure the Saturday victory. Lionel Messi also failed to give the Catalans a third in the 82nd when he missed a penalty. Talking about the team's arch-rival, Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola said the pressure was now on Real Madrid. "It was hard for us but things are not always easy in football. There are eight games left and we are closer (to the title)," Guardiola said after the match. Real Madrid hosts Valladolid on Sunday as it tries to close back to within six points of Barcelona.

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Italian Macheda bags, Man. United wins

Italian striker Federico Macheda's goal has secured a decisive 2-1 victory for Manchester United against Sunderland in the Premier League. Coming off the bench in the second half, the 17-year-old's first touch for United produced the desired result when he deflected Michael Carrick's low shot to break a draw and win the match. Last week, the Italian scored a sensational injury time winner in similar fashion in a 3-2 victory against Aston Villa. He continues to play a great role in United's title race. Earlier in the first half of the match, Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones scored beautifully to cancel out Paul Scholes's header, which had scored the opening goal. In another match at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea kept its own title hopes alive with a 4-3 win over Bolton Wanderers. The current wrap up shows Manchester United, having one game in hand, remaining on top with 71 points; Liverpool is in second place with 70; Chelsea is third with 67.

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Liverpool annihilates Blackburn 4-0

Liverpool has celebrated its twentieth victory in the Premier League against Blackburn after a humiliating defeat at home earlier this week. Two goals by Fernando Torres in the first half secured the three points at Anfield on Saturday. A fifth-minute volley and a header after 33 minutes by the Spanish striker took his goal tally for the season to 14. In the 83rd minute, a long-range strike from Danish player Daniel Agger boosted the score to three. David Ngog's last-minute goal completed the stunning win to calm the midweek defeat in the Champions League. On the Wednesday prior, Liverpool was defeated by Chelsea 3-1 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals at Anfield, effectively hindering the Reds chances for a semifinals berth. Liverpool will next face Chelsea for the return leg on Tuesday, this time at Stamford Bridge. "It's very positive," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez told Sky Sports after Saturday's match. "We needed to play well and score goals."

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Hamburg sinks Man City 3-1 in UEFA Cup

Hamburger SV has come from behind to snatch a convincing 3-1 victory against Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Cup quarterfinals. Manchester City took the lead when Stephen Ireland opened the scoring only 30 seconds into the match that has 57,000 fans in attendance at the HSH Nordbank Arena on Thursday. Hamburg's defender Joris Mathijsen, however, managed to level matters after nine minutes by heading in a corner from Trochowski. Piotr Trochowski doubled the advantage for Hamburg by converting a penalty following a handball by Micah Richards in the 63rd. The Germans sealed the victory through substitute Jose Paolo Guerrero in the 79th when the striker knocked the ball into the roof of the net. Manchester City mounted several late attacks but failed to score any other goals. "Losing 3-1 has made things difficult, but we are not out of it," said Manchester City manager Mark Hughes. "We had a lot of injuries before the match, but we showed we can cause them problems in their defense. This is far from finished." Hamburg boss Martin Jol, however, warned against complacency in the second leg. "We have three goals, we could have had four so we cannot take the return leg lightly," the coach said. "I know from experience that things can change very quickly in England." The return leg of the match is scheduled to be held on April 16.

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Ferguson alludes to Mourinho as successor

Sir Alex Ferguson has alluded to the former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho as the right man to take over at Old Trafford when he retires. "I like Jose Mourinho," Ferguson said. "He is a good guy and someone I get on very well with. But people forget how quickly the game changes. The job of a football manager is a pretty fragile one. You can be on the very top of the world and then after two defeats you are the worst team ever. Ferguson further pointed out that his successor must have enough experience to take up the hot seat at the 'massive club'. The Scottish, however, said that he has no plans to retire even if United wins the Premier League and Champions League. "Hopefully I will be here for another two or three years. Who knows what will have happened in that time. Thinking about Jose Mourinho or [Arsenal's] Ars?ne Wenger or whoever is going to be impossible,” he added. "I am 67 now. At the moment I am still healthy and enjoying my job. If that was different I would quit immediately. But winning a specific trophy does not come into it," he explained. The 46-year-old Mourinho, who is now coaching Inter Milan, has managed to win the Champions League with Porto and the Premier League with Chelsea in 2005 and 2006.

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Chennai Super Kings leave for South Africa sans Dhoni

Gunning for the title that eluded them last year, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) left for Johannesburg this morning sans their skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to participate in the second edition of the Indian Premier League that kick starts in South Africa on April 18.
The Super Kings left for Johannesburg via Dubai at 9:45 this morning on the auspicious day of Lord Aiyappa’s birthday by an Emirates Airlines flight.
Apart from Dhoni, medium pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji and opening batsman Murali Vijay, who will return from New Zealand on Wednesday and some overseas players, including coach-cum-player Stephen Fleming, Mathew Hayden and George Bailey will join the squad later.
From Johannesburg, the Super Kings will travel to Durban on Thursday where they will set up their training camp.
Kasi Viswanathan, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and Head of Operations of the Super Kings informed minutes before boarding the flight that the team is geared up to return with the trophy this time.
“We are ready for the big occasion. We want to come back with the trophy this time. We have set our preparations in place with the aim of making the semi-finals as a goal and then go full throttle in the final for the trophy that we missed by hair breath last time to Rajasthan Royals,” he said.
The Super Kings would be having a six-day training camp in Durban from April 10-15, which includes a few practice matches against local teams before leaving for Cape Town to play Mumbai Indians in the second match on the opening day of the high-profile Twenty20 tournament.
Vishwanathan also informed that along with Dhoni, star England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and Kiwi Jacob Oram will be joining the team in Cape Town on April 15.
“Dhoni will be returning to India along with the team today from New Zealand. Of course, he requires some rest. He, along with Flintoff and others, will join the team in Cape Town on April 15.
“The Indians as well as overseas players have been involved in international matches for their respective countries and have the experience to straight away go for the matches,” he said.
Viswanathan noted that all the eight teams have made some changes in their squads this time around after first edition’s experience.
“No team could be taken for granted and there could even be high scoring matches as some of the venues have small grounds but the Super Kings will approach every match with caution. We have depth in our bench strength.”

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Multiple captain theory is interesting, says Mohammed Kaif

India discard Mohammed Kaif has sounded cautious about the much-debated multiple-captaincy theory for IPL T20 second edition proposed by John Buchanan, saying it looked “interesting”.
“I don’t want to say much on it except that it looks interesting as things happen quickly in the shortest format of the game. Not a bad theory, but we have to wait and see how it goes,” Kaif said last night before departing with his Rajasthan Royals teammates for South Africa.
Former Australia coach Buchanan, who is managing another IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), has suggested that he wanted to experiment with this novel concept of multiple captains during the tournament which has been opposed by his team member and former India skipper Sourav Ganguly and another ex-captain Sunil Gavaskar.
KKR’s owner Shah Rukh Khan had said a few days ago that there was nothing wrong in trying out the new concept as the T20 format was in its infancy and the team did not do well while playing in the traditional way vis-a-vis captaincy, with Ganguly being its sole captain and icon player in 2008.
Kaif and other Indian players of Rajasthan Royals, which won the title under captain-coach Shane Warne in the first edition of the cash-rich event, were busy yesterday in promotional events prior to leaving for SA.
The 28-year-old Allahabad-born middle order batsman Kaif, who had lead India to U-19 World Cup win, sounded upbeat about the team’s chances of retaining the title in South Africa though the conditions are different from India.
“It’s a fresh start. Last year we had the bowlers to suit Indian conditions. This time it will be different altogether. We have 10 days to adjust to the bounce in the wickets and are playing two practice games too. It should be enough,” said the skipper of the UP Ranji Trophy team.
Kaif, whose last appearance for India was incidentally in an ODI in South Africa in November 2006, said the fact that RR had won the title last year would stand them in good stead, but the key was in new faces being introduced.
“We have the confidence and the fact that won it will help us. In this format new faces who not many know and play well would hold the key.”
Pacer Sidharth Trivedi said spin legend Warne, whose leadership qualities came to the fore in full force in IPL last year, would definitely not be repeating the same things he had done while guiding the team to the crown when the second season unfolds in South Africa on April 18.
“Warne will definitely bring something new (to the table) as captain. He is a player who doesn’t believe in doing the same things again,” said the lanky Ahmedabad bowler who is striving hard to make it to the Indian squad.
Trivedi said the IPL would be the ideal chance for players like him to force their way into the India T20 World Cup squad as the tournament started immediately after the end of the BCCI-backed League.
“I see it as a challenge and like challenges. If I perform well I am sure to be included in the T20 World Cup team. I want to prove myself,” he said.
The T20 World Cup, in which India are the defending champions, is commencing in England on June 5 while the IPL ends on May 24.

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Strategy breaks’ to expedite matches, not earn revenue, says Lalit Modi

Denying that boosting advertising revenue is the real reason behind introducing ’strategy breaks’ in this year’s Indian Premier League, IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi on Wednesday said it is actually aimed at expediting the matches.
In yet another deviation from tradition, the second edition of the Twenty20 extravaganza would see teams getting a five-minute ’strategy break’ after 10 overs apparently to get their acts right.
Even though many feel the move was aimed at increasing advertisement revenue, Modi insisted it was just to speed up proceedings.
“I absolutely disagree with that,” Modi said. “We did a calculation last year and 100 per cent matches went over an hour beyond their schedule time. It was just delays and delays. We had enforced extremely high penalties but major of the time teams were ready to pay the money because they were back and forth talking to the players, strategising.
“So we have given them a time-out after every 10 overs and enforced high penalty like USD 3000-4000 in case of delay. The objective here is to fasten the game in fact and not slow down the game and at the same time, giving time and opportunity to the managers and teams to regroup and discuss their strategy,” Modi told a channel.
Asked for his reaction to the war of words between Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan and former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, also an IPL Governing Council member, on KKR coach John Buchanan’s controversial multiple-captain theory, Modi said it was completely the team’s prerogative to do whatever it deems fit.
“Whoever owns a team has a right to do whatever he thinks. I think Sunil is right in his way and Shah Rukh is also right.
“I think Shah Rukh has thought out his strategy… it’s actually a prerogative of the team,” Modi said.
The IPL chief conceded it would not be the same after the event was shifted out of India but was confident that the razzmatazz would prove a success.
“It’s Indian Premier League and we should be having it in India. But circumstances forced us to move out.
“But I’m looking at the positives… the tickets were exhausted within a couple of hours of opening and people told me this is the fastest selling event in South Africa’s history,” Modi added.

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Rajasthan Royals gear up for IPL with slew of new initiatives

Indian Premier League champions Rajasthan Royals are gearing up for the second season with a host of new initiatives ranging from a new rendition of its team song to launch of a new sporting gear and the release of a DVD to capture the success of the team last year.
Planned with a view to engage with the local community here and in the catchment areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat, these initiatives were also meant to help build a strong fan base both within the country and overseas.
“This year, in addition to continuing with our primary metric of success — focus on cricket, we are looking at opportunities off the field to accelerate our brand building. We have launched a range of contests, initiated a membership programme for local fans besides expansion of licensing and merchandising opportunities,” said Manoj Badale, chairman and co-owner of the Royals, while launching the new initiatives.
Rajasthan Royals has tied up with global sporting apparel brand Puma as the official sports apparel sponsor. Puma will provide the team with exclusive Jaipur IPL branded merchandise including team jersey, practice jersey, fan shirt and gear, caps, official shoes, cricket bats, wristbands, sports bags.
The official song of Rajasthan Royals — Halla Bol — has got a new makeover under the creative expertise and guidance of new stake-holder and co-owner Shilpa Shetty.
The Royals also launched a DVD titled ‘Road to Victory’ showing the team’s fairytale success last season.

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Barca finishes Bayern off in 45 minutes

FC Barcelona has snatched an impressive 4-0 victory over Bayern Munich in its Champions League quarterfinal first leg at the Nou Camp, leaving the Germans' hopes hanging on a thread. Lionel Messi gave Barca the lead when he calmly passed the ball into the net stroking in Samuel Eto'o's pass after nine minutes on Wednesday. Only three minutes later, Eto'o doubled the advantage on Messi's pass. He finished into the far corner through keeper Hans Jorg Butt's legs. Pep Guardiola's men added a third in the 38th minute when the 21-year-old Argentine magician Messi tapped in Henry's cross from close range. Frenchman Thierry Henry managed to make it 4-0 for an in-form Barca by sidefooting low into the far corner on Eto'o pass. "Obviously 4-0 in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final match is incredible," said Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola. "We did almost everything right. Bayern have great players so it is difficult to beat them. The talent made the difference tonight. "(Jurgen) Klinsmann is right to say that 4-0 is a great result but Bayern are a great team so we have to keep our feet on the ground," he added. "The way we will do that is to focus on the next three points in the league and maintaining our six point gap at the summit." Jurgen Klinsmann, however, was disappointed at the way his players allowed their rivals to win the game, knowing that hi side now needs a miracle to qualify for the semis. "From my point of view, the match was a great disappointment," Klinsmann said after the game. "It is difficult to explain. The key was to fight for every ball but two goals early in the game did a lot of damage and we did not fight hard enough," he explained. "We need to overcome the criticism. It is a very hard defeat and difficult to digest."

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Sepahan, Bunyodkor draw in AFC-CL

Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor holds Sepahan to a 2-2 draw in AFC Champions League to remain unbeaten against Iranian clubs at home. Shavkat Salomov put Bunyodkor ahead in the 27th minute but Hadi Aqili equalized the match just before the break. Emad Reza scored the second goal for Sepahan, reviving hopes of the first victory for an Iranian club against an Uzbek side in AFC Champions League. However, Bakhtiyor Ashurmatov scored the equalizer in the 75th minute. Sepahan stands in the first place of Group D with four points, on goal difference with Bunyodkor. Saudi Arabia's Ettifaq and UAE's Al Shabab Al Arabi, which both have three points, will play later on Wednesday. Uzbekistani clubs have never been defeated against Iranian clubs at home. In AFC Champions League 2008 season, Bunyodkor thrashed Iran's Saipa 5-1 in Tashkent. Wednesday match results Group B Persepolis (IRI) 3, Al Gharafa (QAT) 1 Al Shabab (KSA) vs. Sharjah (UAE) (K.O. 1920 GMT) Group D Bunyodkor 2 (UZB), Sepahan (IRI) 2 Ettifaq (KSA) vs. Al Shabab Al Arabi (UAE) (K.O. 2100 GMT) Group F Gamba Osaka (JPN) 5, Sriwijaya (INA) 0 Shandong Luneng (CHN) 2, FC Seoul (KOR) 0 Group H Central Coast Mariners (AUS) 0, Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 5 Pohang Steelers (KOR) 1, Tianjin Teda (CHN) 0

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Ferguson to avenge Porto after Villa thriller

Man United storms back to the Premier's top after defeating Aston Villa 3-2 and is now motivated by revenge as it faces Portugal's Porto. 

United's manager Sir Alex Ferguson is now bent on avenging a 2004 defeat by Porto in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg. The Portuguese club, then managed by Jose Mourinho, dumped United with a 2-1 home win and a 1-1 draw in the return. 

United, now unbeaten on home soil in 19 European games, will be boosted by the return of Wayne Rooney, Scholes and Nemanja Vidic, after the trio missed the Villa match through suspension. Ferguson commenting on the upcoming game with Porto said it is a 'chance to resolve some unfinished business'. 

A substantial victory against Porto would put United in pole position going into the second leg at the Dragao Stadium next week, as Porto has finished top of its group before knocking out Atletico Madrid on away goals. 

The United manager is also interested in stirring up trouble for his closest challengers for the Premier League title, and in response to Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez's query over whether United can handle the pressure after Liverpool beat Fulham 1-0 on Saturday, Ferguson said, "I think whoever wins between Liverpool and Chelsea in the Champions League this week will be our biggest threat because of the effect it will have on them." 

After Sunday's matches in the English Premier League, Manchester United stands with 68 points, Liverpool 67 and Chelsea 64. Fulham is down 9th with 40 points.

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Shearer takes charge of Newcastle United

Alan Shearer has been put in charge of Newcastle United for the rest of the English Premier League season to save the club from relegation. 

The 38-year-old Shearer took charge of his first training session at his home town club on Thursday. 

"I am here for eight games, and eight games only." Shearer said at his first news conference at St James' Park on Thursday. 

"It's a club I love and I, just like many thousands of people, desperately don't want the club to go down and I will do everything I can to try to prevent that," Newcastle's record goal scorer added. 

"I believe I can help it along with the players. There is a nucleus here that can get this club out of trouble. They are very good players lacking confidence and it's up to me and the staff to get the best out of them." 

Shearer has been appointed Newcastle United's interim manager while Joe Kinnear recovers from heart surgery. He will be assisted by former Northern Ireland striker Iain Dowie. 

Shearer scored 206 goals in 395 matches he played for Newcastle United. 

Newcastle is currently 18th in the country's Premier League and in danger of going down for the first time since 1989.

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Nadal knocked out of Sony Ericsson Open

Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina has knocked out the top-ranked Rafael Nadal from the Sony Ericsson Open quarterfinals in Miami. 

The 20-year-old Argentine ousted Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3) in front of a raucous, pro-del Potro crowd on Thursday. 

"Wonderful for the crowd," Nadal said. "Terrible for me." 

"I played really bad all the time," he added. "When I have it 3-love in the third, I played worse. It was amazing disaster." 

Meanwhile, the Spanish tennis star admitted that he failed to show a good performance during the whole tournament. 

"I didn't play well during this tournament," Nadal explained. "I didn't adapt well. I played really bad." 

The 6-foot-6 Juan Martin del Potro, however, said that the home-court advantage helped him win the 22-year-old Nadal. "They helped me a lot," the No. 6-seeded del Potro said. 

"I beat him with my mind and with my game," del Potro said. "When we played long points, I was dominating every time." 

"I beat the No. 1," he went on to say. "If you don't play unbelievable, you cannot beat him." 

Del Potro is to meet No. 4 Andy Murray of Britain in the semifinals. Murray defeated eighth-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 6-2. 

The Swiss ace Roger Federer will also take on Serb Novak Djokovic in the other semifinal game on the same day.

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Argentina battered by 6 goals in WC qualifiers

Bolivia has kept its slim 2010 World Cup hopes alive by humiliating former legend Diego Maradona's squad 6-1, handing Argentina its worst defeat in over 60 years. 

The host dominated the Wednesday match from star to finish. It only took Marcelo Martins 12 minutes to score the opener for Bolivia and set La Paz's Hernando Siles Stadium on fire. 

Little did Luis Gonzalez know that his 24th minute equalizer would prompt the opponents to step up the already mounting pressure on a shaky looking Argentina. 

Bolivia's Joaquin Botero scored a hat trick, in the 33rd, 56th and 66th minutes and Brazilian-born Alex Da Rosa and Didi Torrico also scored for the home side to make Argentina suffer its worst defeat in more than 60 years. 

Maradona had earned three victories in three games with no goals conceded since he took over last November. However, the recent result casts doubt over his qualifications as coach. 

"To say to the fans that I suffered with them, (that) every Bolivia goal was a stab to the heart, what more can I say?" Maradona said. 

"If we had dreamed this was going to happen before the game, we would have thought it was impossible," he added. 

Maradona further praised the Bolivian outfit for their great performance in the match. 

"We have to give merit to Bolivia who were better than us in every part of the field," he explained. "Bolivia played a great game and hit the target with every attack. They all played well from the goalkeeper to the last substitute." 

Argentina finished the game with 10 men as Angel Di Maria was shown the red card in the 64th minute. 

Argentina now stands forth with 19 points out of 12 games while Bolivia stands second-to-last with 12. Paraguay leads the South America table with 24 points, followed by Brazil and Chile with 21 and 20 points respectively.

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Iran ties Brazil 2-2 in futsal friendly

World Cup futsal champion Brazil has been held to a 2-2 draw in its second friendly match against the Iranian national futsal team. 

The game was held in Sao Croso, Brazil on Tuesday. 

Majid Tikdarinejad and Mohamad Taheri scored for the Asian futsal champion which lost its first friendly against the host 4-2 on Sunday. 

The Iranian outfit, coached by Hossein Shams, will attend the Grand Prix de Futsal Tournament in Brazil where the top 16 teams of the world will be competing in June 2009. 

Iran reached the 2008 Futsal World Cup quarterfinals last October after displaying a brilliant performance that resulted in Iran being voted as the most impressive team in the tournament. 

Iran's national futsal team has been ranked fourth by FIFA in 2008 -- after Brazil, Spain and Italy.

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Ferguson: Barca threat to our crown

Sir Alex Ferguson says the recently refocused Barcelona is the biggest threat to United's hopes of retaining their Champions League crown. 

"Barcelona are the form team, they've been terrific this season and everyone's taking notice of them," Sir Alex told the club's official magazine, Inside United, on Tuesday. 

"Their first half performance against Lyon in the second leg of the first knock-out round was absolutely brilliant, they were four up in no time. They can be a threat to anybody and are quite rightly one of the favorites." 

Four English sides -- Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea -- have once again dominated the world's most important club competition this season, reaching the quarter-finals for the second consecutive time and provening the strength of the Premier League in recent years. 

"Last season we had three in the semi-finals and two in the final, the previous year there were three in the semis and Liverpool made it to the final. But we have to recognize that our threats don't just come from England, the big one will come from Barcelona," he said. 

Sir Alex said he was not sure whether the Catalans had improved a lot under new coach Josep Guardiola, who took over from Frank Rijkaard last year. However, he said that they have had a better defensive record. 

"Guardiola has brought in the awareness that defending is just as important as attacking." 

As Barcelona and United are on the opposite side of the draw, the Catalans will face Bayern Munich in the last eight and would take on either Liverpool or Chelsea in the semis, meaning the Red Devils can only play the La Liga side in the final in Rome. 

United on the other hand has to get past Porto in the quarter finals and the winner in Villarreal vs. Arsenal clash, to book a place in Rome. 

Manchester United was the favorite side to win the Champions League for a forth time, but two consecutive defeats in the English Premier League has cast doubt over the Red's capabilities.

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