Public sector oil giant -- Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has bagged the title sponsorship for the upcoming Asia Cup cricket tournament scheduled for next month. Indian Oil Asia Cup to be held in Sri Lanka, one of the first cricket events featuring India after the historic Indo-Pak clash, will also be the first time when a cricket tournament will be simulcast in two separate channels in different languages. ESPN Star Sports which had bagged the worldwide television and ground rights to the tournament will be telecast in English on ESPN and in Hindi on Star Sports with different programming package including separate commentators.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, June 30, 2004

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After 14 years, the Indian men's team won bronze in Asian senior squash championships held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to information recieved here, the Indian team, comprising Ritwik Bhattacharya, Saurav Ghosal, Siddharth Suchde and Manish Chotrani defeated Kuwait 2-0. Siddharth Suchde defeated Ali al Ramzi 9-7, 9-0, 9-0 while Ritwik Bhattacharya won 9-2, 9-1, 9-5 against Kuwaiti number one Bader el Hussaini. The last time the men's team won a bronze medal was in Kolkata in 1990. In the women's team event, India went down fighting 1-2 to Japan to secure the fourth position. Supriya Balsekar lost to Kozue Onizawa 3-9,3-9,3-9 while Joshana Chinnappa pulled one back, defeating top ranked Japanese Mami Nishio 9-2, 9-6, 7-9, 9-4. In the deciding rubber Mekhala Subedar lost 8-10, 0-9, 2-9 to Chinatsu Matsui.

Courtesy: The Asian Age, June 29, 2004

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India's Achanta Sharath Kamal defeated compatriot Soumyadeep Roy to claim the men's singles gold in the 16th Commonwealth table tennis championship in Kuala Lumpur. It was for the first time that two Indians clashed for the title. Living upto expectations, Kamal, the defending national champion, recorded a facile victory over Roy in straight sets 11-8, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 to claim the gold medal, a release from the Table Tennis Federation of India said here on Monday. Roy was unable to match up with his own dream run in the tournament. In the women's section, Poulomi Ghatak and Mouma Das ensured a bronze by reaching their respective semi-finals in women's singles.

Courtesy: The Asian Age, June 29, 2004

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India blanked Pakistan 3-0 in the three-Test snooker series to win the Rexello Castors Peace Cup here on Sunday. After comprehensively beating Pakistan in the first two Tests, the Indians won the third 6-1 to avenge the series defeat in Karachi last year. World amateur champion Pankaj Advani regained his form to give India a brilliant start in the opening encounter outwitting Pakistan's young talent Imran Shahzad in straight frames 94-0, 75-6. Asian champion Alok Kumar put India 2-0 ahead defeating Pakistan's top ranked Khurram Agha 77-27, 76-1. In the doubles, Manan Chandra and Asian Games gold medallist Rafat Habib overcame a mid-match slump to beat Pakistan's Imran Shahzad and Muhammed Atiq Buksh 67-34, 21-64, 85-19.

Courtesy: The Hindu, June 21, 2004

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Former World Champion Vishwanathan Anand led the Rest of the World team to victory by drawing his final round game with World No. 1 Garry Kasparov of Armenia team. Despite a defeat in the sixth and final round, Rest of the World held on to their lead, winning the match with a narrow 18.5-17.5 score at the Hyatt Ararat here on Tuesday. Rest of the World began the last round with a cushion of two-point lead at 16-14, while Armenia looked for two extra wins, without defeats. Playing the World No. 1 Garry Kasparov with white pieces, Anand snatched the precious half point with a comfortable draw. Anand completed the event with two wins.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, June 17, 2004

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In an unprecedented final featuring two Indians for the first time in Asian snooker history, national champion Alok Kumar beat reigning World champion Pankaj Advani 6-3 in the best-of-eleven frames contest. It was a triumph of determination to win at all costs over youthful exuberance and flair. Alok has been a fine player over the years but his impressive credentials did not include a major international title. This gap has now been filled and the delight on the new champion's face after his typically grim visage throughout the four hour forty-five minute battle of attrition was a sight to behold. On Thursday, the two Indians created history by ensuring that their country would get the gold and silver medals in this high profile event. Alok was particularly brilliant in the semifinal, crushing the dangerous Habib Mahmood of Bahrain without conceding a frame. In the quarterfinal, Habib had comprehensively beaten two-time former Asian champion Yasin Merchant 5-2. As for Pankaj, he looked like running into his best form when he steamed past Kwok, one of Hong Kong's most competent players, 5-2 in a display that was exemplary for its smoothness and poise under pressure. Alok takes home a cheque for US$ 2500 plus a further US$ 500 high break prize for his clearance of 117 made in the league phase. Pankaj had to be content with a cheque for US$ 1250.

Courtesy: The Hindu, June 12, 2004

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Pakistan will back India's bid to host the 2014 Asian Games in New Delhi, a senior Pakistani sports official said on Friday. "Pakistan played a positive role in India's successful bid for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, we'll now support New Delhi's claim to host the Asian Games in 2014," The News quoted Latif Butt, Secretary General of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), as saying. Butt said Pakistan would also lend support to India's campaign to become the fourth Asian country to host the summer Olympics. India had expressed its intention to forward New Delhi as a candidate for the 2016 Olympics. Meanwhile, Butt's counterpart in India Randhir Singh (Indian Olympic Association's secretary general) said that both countries would make trips to each other's land to improve bilateral sporting ties.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, June 12, 2004

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It generally happens in the league phase of any major championship that a player tends to have a game that he would rather forget. That is exactly what happened to reigning IBSF world champion Pankaj Advani in his second Group A match in the Asian snooker championship. Though he won 4-0 against the 13-year-old Iranian Amir Sarkhosh, he generally looked out of sorts with two of the frames going to the black ball. It has to be acknowledged that the totally unexpected resistance from his little opponent threw him off-balance and it was only in the last frame that he managed to compile a break in excess of 40. By comparison his two compatriots Alok Kumar and Yasin Merchant, top seeded in Groups G and H respectively, were fluency personified, with Alok, in particular, turning in a performance that was certainly the equal of anything that has flowed from his gifted cue. The centrepiece of the national champion's brilliant show was a magnificent 117 clearance in the second frame, the highest in the championship so far.

Courtesy: The Hindu, June 08, 2004

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