Becoming the undisputed Sports World Champion in chess in addition to his No.1 ranking this year makes India’s V Anand the country’s premier sportsman (with no Australian to challenge him). With accolades still pouring in, Anand spoke to the TOI from Mexico City.

 
Congratulations on becoming the world champion. How does it feel and how did you celebrate?

Thanks. It’s great...to retain the World No.1 ranking and become the undisputed world champion in the same year is a wonderful feeling. Aruna (his wife) and I went out for dinner to a Mexican restaurant...

Congratulations to Aruna too. She played a big role, didn’t she? She virtually your manager now...like Roger Federer’s girlfriend...

Yes, she take a lot of things off my hands, allowing me to concentrate on my game. I just have to pack my computer and work on my games, she handles the rest.

But she also helps you with broad advice on games...

Oh yes. She told me for instance not to blitz during Grischuk’s time trouble this time (Anand plays very fast and usually puts opponents in time trouble). I didn’t listen (chuckles) and nearly got into trouble myself (he drew from a losing position)

Now how did you prepare for this world championship? You have played against all eight contenders but there must have been special preparations against some?

Not really. In this tournament, the field was very narrow. The rating difference between the top player and the eighth was only 70 ELO points. I didn’t think anyone deserved special attention. Anyone would have tripped anyone. I am just happy to come out undefeated and it went pretty well but for that one scary moment against Grischuk.

And in terms of seconds (assistants)?

I worked with Peter Heine Nielsen (a Danish GM). In India, I worked with Sandipan from Kolkata and Konguvel and Saravanan (from Chennai)

How did the specific games pan out? Were you happy with games?

Yes, I came out undefeated like I said and scored nine out of 14. I drew two games each with the top three and beat the bottom four once each and drew once each. It wasn’t something I had planned but that’s the way it came out and I am quite happy.

How did Kramnik take it?

Oh, he was quite sporting. He shook hands after we drew the game and then congratulated me again backstage. We didn’t talk much.

By then of course, you were already over the line. I believe people began to congratulate you with several rounds to go...

Yeah, messages started pouring in when there were still three rounds to go and I was one and half points ahead. It freaked me out. When you are that far ahead with only three rounds to go and don’t win, you’d shoot yourself. Maybe I am a bit superstitious, but it was quite unsettling. Then Gelfand beat Aronian and I drew a game and he was within a point of me. Things can whittle down pretty suddenly. So the last three days Aruna and I avoided eating at the hotel to try and not receive the premature congratulations.

But it worked out great eventually. Now tell me, do you feel in terms of legacy etc that you are at the peak of your powers? What is the shelf life of a world champion these days?

(Laughs) I hope I can remain at the top for some time (Anand has been among the top three since 1997 and the undisputed No.1 since April this year). The average age in chess is dropping fast and the shelf life is also shortening. The average age now is in the 20s. There are hardly any with 30s (Anand is 37). All indications are that chess is becoming younger, but I feel good enough to remain at the top.

So it’s a different world from Michael Tal and others who stayed at the top into their 60s

Yes, there is almost no one in the top 30 who is over 50. But then experience is also important. In this World Championship, us senior guys (Anand, Kramnik and Gelfand) did well coming out on top. We were able to cope better and I guess experience was important.

But computers have become so much a part of the game. I sometimes wonder if you will be the last human Sports world champion.

Computers are already stronger than humans in chess and there is a separate championship for them. Processor speeds are doubling every 18 months and our brains are not growing as fast...may be two per cent every year (laughs). I try and stay on top and get the latest all the time...

Now you live in Spain but still represent India, unlike Gelfand. What does it mean to be an Indian in chess world?

Gelfand moved to Israel lock, stock and barrel. I still split my time between Spain, where I spend 3-4 months, India where I spend 3-4 months, and travel for tournaments.

I believe you said something like you were looking ahead to the kind of reception that the cricketers got after the Twenty20 win...

(Laughs) I just said I’d be curious to see what kind of reception I will get.

Source: Sports.indiatimes.com 

To add context and drama to the series telecast, the coverage will also feature “Extra Cover,” a wrap around programme enveloping the LIVE cricket, which will be broadcast from Neo’s state of the art broadcasting facility in Mumbai.

Former Australian opener Michael Slater and India’s Murali Kartik will be there and then there is exclusive arrangement with Australian Speedster Brett Lee, who will give the viewers a sneak peek into the Australian camp both before and after the match.

Former India leg-spinner, L. Sivaramakrishnan, and Aussie paceman, Damien Fleming, will bring in the action from the arena. Neo Sports Plus will offer its viewers multiple language feeds in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Source: The hindu 

Twenty20 cricket world cup ended yesterday with a great enjoyment and lots of unforgettable memories. 24th September has already added in the history of game. India won the t20 world cup title. It was a nail biting game, everybody was watching the game with holding their nerve. Having made history by winning the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup after a dream final against archrivals Pakistan, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni attributed the victory to teamwork and the desire to do well.

Cricket has shed its image as a dull, unattractive and lengthy sport after the spectacular success of the inaugural World Twenty20 spectacle.

The event, which ended on Monday with India beating Pakistan by five runs in a rousing finale, created such a stir that Twenty20 is now being hailed as a revolution that will change the leisurely sport for ever.

West Indian Chris Gayle slammed the first ever T20 century in the September 11 opener, Zimbabwe stunned Australia, Bangladesh ousted the West Indies, Aussie Brett Lee took a hat-trick and India's Yuvraj Singh hit six sixes in an over.

There was even a tie between India and Pakistan in the league, India winning the bowl-out not by runs or wickets but with a 3-0 football-type scoreline previously unheard of in cricket.

That two of the youngest and most inexperienced teams in the shortest version of the game outwitted the big guns from Australia, South Africa and England to contest the final only added to the drama.

India had played just one Twenty20 international before the tournament, Pakistan only two against major teams, yet the arch-rivals conjured a dream final at the overflowing Wanderers stadium.Many want Twenty20 cricket to replace the 50-overs-a-side internationals as the limited-overs game complementing test matches, but all three versions have a place -- for now.

Tournament director Steve Elworthy, a former South African test seamer, said the Twenty20 format will help improve test and one-day standards."The change is going to impact all of cricket," he said. "If you can go eight an over in 20 overs, in the 50-over game you can go at six at least.

"So 300 in a 50-over game should be a par score.

"The impact on test cricket is going to be just as profound. Teams will be much more positive and think that if we bowl out the opposition and need 200 in the last hour, it's still on because in 20-over cricket we're scoring 200."

International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed admitted the success of Twenty20 had thrown down a challenge on how to balance the world game.

"Test cricket we value greatly, 50-over cricket is the financial driver of the game and now we have Twenty20 which has proved immensely popular," said Speed.

"It's a great problem for us to have, a format of the game that is so popular with fans, players and broadcasters."

Ironically, the tournament was won by a country that had shunned the short version fearing it would sideline the lucrative one-day internationals.

Not any more. India will now not only have its own T20 Premier League but also take part in a five-million dollar Champions League involving some other ICC nations.

India have also been invited by American businessman Allen Stanford to take part in a winner-takes-all $5 million T20 game against the Rest of the World in Antigua next summer.

Fans can't get enough of it, so Twenty20 is here to stay.

Ponting has been ruled out of the rest of the current Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa but will fly with the team to India next week for seven one-day internationals.

"Ricky Ponting is making excellent progress following his hamstring strain in the game against Pakistan on Tuesday," Australia chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said in a statement.

"Ricky will be coming on the tour of India and will resume playing as soon as he is medically cleared."

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has been added to the touring party and will cover for Ponting until he recovers.

All-rounder Shane Watson is being assessed after leaving the field during Thursday's Twenty20 game against Sri Lanka with hamstring soreness.

The Australians, through to the Twenty20 semi-finals, are due to leave South Africa on September 25 and the first one-day international against India is on September 29 in Bangalore.

Source: co.reuters.com

Good news for the fan of Formula one racing because it is going to be held in India in 2010. F1 may land in Gurgaon or Greater Noida.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said on Monday it was on course to stage a Formula One grand prix after an inspection of possible sites around New Delhi. Two sites, Sohna in Gurgaon and Greater Noida have been identified for the race - both sites are in the National Capital Region. The sites were shortlisted after F1 chief architect Herman Tilke’s recent visit to India.

The wait for an F1 race in India just got longer. It is now going to make its debut in India in 2010, and not in October 2009 as announced earlier in June.

IOA President Suresh Kalmadi said, the race could be held in March 2010, as the first race of the season, or after the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Rahul Dravid has resigned the Indian captaincy, just hours before today's Twenty20 world cup match against bitter rivals Pakistan.

Citing a desire to concentrate on his own game – particularly his batting which has suffered of late – Dravid said he no longer wished to lead the side as he has done for the last two years.

The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) will now begin in the search for Dravid's successor. Fellow middle-order batsman VVS Laxman is being touted as a likely candidate, despite struggling to cement a regular starting berth for his country recently.

Rahul Dravid met Mr. Sharad Pawar at Delhi on 13th September and expressed his desire to step down as the Captain of the Indian team and requested that he should not be considered for the job from the ensuing Australia series," a statement issued by BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said.

"Rahul further assured that he would extend his full co-operation to his successor and contribute as a batsman and a senior player."

According to North Korea Women's football team coach they can win the world cup title in this coming after a 2-2 draw with United States which is one of the best team in women's football.

North Korea has only one target in China -- to win the women's World Cup for the first time.

And coach Kim Kwang Min warns they are starting to fire on all cylinders after a hard-earned 2-2 draw with the United States, the top team in the world.

The US were lucky to salvage a point on Tuesday after the Koreans scored two quick goals when the Americans were briefly down to 10 players.

Kim said his young charges were on the right road in their quest to clinch the World Cup.

"We are marching toward our target to win the world title," Kim said.

"I am slightly disappointed with the result but if we meet the US team next time, I think I have found the right tactics to beat them."

With both teams taking a point from the draw in what is considered the toughest group of the tournament, they must now win their matches on Friday to stay in the hunt for a spot in the last eight.

"I am satisfied with the performance of my team considering the fact that we have still not reached the level that the US team has, we have this draw with the US team so I am satisfied with the result."

US coach Greg Ryan paid tribute to North Korea's performance, and said the result proved the road to the finals would be tough for the world number ones as they attempt to win a third World Cup.

"North Korea is a fantastic team, they played great attacking football and they defended very well," Ryan said.

"I think there were chances for the US to win and also for North Korea to win. We knew what a difficult group this would be and it's proving to be a very difficult group."

According to you people who will be the champion of Women's Football World Cup ?

Source: AFP

The French going down to Argentina certainly put a few spanners in the works for the host country but you can bet the French will re-gather and come back strong as a result of this shock loss.

Argentina where in control of the game and if they had backed their own abilities would have scored several tries in the opening 20 minutes.

New Zealand had a strong performance over Italy as was expected and they are still the team to beat in this Rugby World Cup.

Italy where never really in the game as the All Blacks ran rings around their defense and never gave Italy a chance to attack although Italy did score two great opportunist tries as a result of the loose style of attacking New Zealand Rugby.

Australia also started of their campaign in great form and set a record against Japan clocking up a score of 91 – 3. Unlike the New Zealand All Blacks the Wallabies showed a more controlled style of game with fanatical defense and pin point attack moves. One to watch out for in my option to take out the title.

South Africa also started strongly beating Samoa by over 40 points. England looked poor against a lack luster USA and on current form would not have any chance of retaining the Rugby World Cup title.

Who Will be the winner of this world cup title......lets share some ideas about this. Waiting for your quick reasponses. Lets hope for the best.

Good Luck!!

"I only see one option and that is to support this investigation and give them what they ask for," the double world champion was quoted as saying in Spain's AS sports newspaper on Saturday.

"When the highest authority in a sport asks you to co-operate, there's nothing you can object to. You've no choice," the 26-year-old added.

"I can't race thinking that I didn't act correctly. There are moral reasons that tie me to my sport," he told Spanish reporters at the Italian Grand Prix.

"I can't hide information that could be revealed by others and run the risk that the FIA accuses me of hiding information, and sanctioning me.

"The only thing I have done is met a moral obligation and responded to what the FIA asked of me. I won't start judging what I've sent them. They should decide this."

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) revealed on Friday that it had written to Alonso, championship leading team mate Lewis Hamilton and McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa last week seeking information in a spy saga that has gripped the glamour sport.

Source: Reuters 

Pithiness or Shortness of Time or Brevity, of course, is the soul of game. And while the World Cup shuffle witlessly on for what seemed like millennia but was in fact a mere seven weeks, the World Twenty20 is put to bed within a fortnight.

Even the most passionate cricket fan was sick of the World Cup long before its fittingly inept conclusion in the Barbados gloom, but there's little danger of that happening here.

2. Unpredictability

With only 16 international Twenty20 matches played before this event, no team has yet been able to display the dominance that the Aussies have exerted for the last decade in Test and 50-over cricket. Indeed, no country to have played more than one Twenty20 game is unbeaten.

3. Excitement

Twenty20 is often described as 50-over cricket with the dull middle overs taken out. There's plenty of truth in that, with growing evidence that the 20-over game is influencing 50-over cricket the way that game changed Tests.

In the 16 games to date, there has already been a tie, with another two games settled by just two runs. And even the few one-sided games are still entertaining; I'll take England beating Australia by 100 runs over any 50-over match every time.

4. New Faces

The 2007 World Cup not only threw up a predictable winner, but also predictable stars.

5. Atmosphere

While a combination of outrageous ticket prices and a tournament-wide clampdown on fun and enjoyment in any form left many World Cup matches played in front of half-full gloomy stadium, the organising committee here will surely not make the same mistakes.

Many matches tickets were sold out within a week of tickets going on sale and, while the umpires have been told not to sex up their signals as they have in domestic Twenty20 cricket, the feeling is that spectators will be encouraged to enjoy themselves at the games.

Source: Sportinglife

Cricket is a game of uncertanity, no one knows what could happen at the next ball.  Its a game which is full of energy, enthusiasm, spirits to win the match for their nations. Its a matter of proud for every player if he played a cruicial role to win the match. Situation was same for the Robin Uthappa yesterday night when he smashed two consecutive fours of the Stuat Braod over. India won the match and the now series is 3-3. Well done Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and last but not the least Robin Uthappa.

Uthappa is the obvious talk point for the day. But wait. We must remember that Ganguly reached his 11th half century of 2007. Sachin Tendulkar got the man of the match, cramps, another missed hundred and universal cheer. Even though his name is Gambhir, no one takes the guy seriously. Second time this week, he came and batted wisely and nicely. But then came the great Indian collapse and chaos. Unbelievable it was, when India won the match, and how!

Enter Uthappa. Most had given up hope already. Only die hard fans and diseased optimists hoping for a miracle. Most certain that their prayers will be wasted. One run out later, thank God Uthappa survived. Another run out. This was cruel. Zaheer was just doing the right thing, had run out of the crease a little and ball hit by Uthappa went straight to the bowler. Two more batsmen left. When Uthappa walked across, and guided the ball to the boundary rope, scooping the ball as if with a spade, and throwing it back, to the boundary rope, a hundred million smiles flashed. Maybe more. Then came the next ball, but after some talk between the bowler and England Captain. Each second exploded like a tense wire of the nerves across the nation. Finally the bowler starts running, Uthappa strikes the ball clean, a fielder dives and the ball escapes. Boundary! Win. Uthappa, only 21, jumps and so does the nation overjoyed!

Cricket, on days like this, is nerve racking, very popular, exhilarating. Making it 3-3 after India was 3-1 down was sweet. Doing it with this style.

Good Luck India!

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