PCB upset with Lawson remarks
Pakistan Cricket Board has taken exception to coach Geoff Lawson’s comments on the prevailing situation in the country and has asked the Australian to stop issuing such statements.

Lawson had said he was monitoring the situation in Pakistan after the assassination of former Prime Minster Benazir Bhutto to decide on his return to the country.

Hari emerges joint leader
Pentala Harikrishna registered his second win in the 50th Reggio Emilio Grandmasters tournament with a comprehensive 43-move win over David Narra to join three others in a joint lead after four rounds in the nine-round category 16 event, reports IANS from Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Harikrishna, who began the tournament with a loss to Hungary's Zoltan Almasi, has since picked up 2.5 points with two wins and one draw. He shares the lead with Almasi, Russia's Konstantin Landa and Azerbaijan's Vugar Gashimov.

Ashutosh to  lead India
National champion Ashutosh Singh will lead a three-member Indian tennis team against Philippines in the home Test series beginning at Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, next week, reports PTI from New Delhi.

Divij Sharan and Vishnu Vardhan are the other members of the Indian side.

While the first tie of the series will be played on January 12, the second will be held on January 14, according to an All India Tennis Association statement in New Delhi.

Karmarkar sets  national record
Joydeep Karmarkar of Railways on Wednesday created a national record in the men’s 50M rifle prone event in the 51st National Shooting Championship, reports PTI from Ahmedabad.

Joydeep won the gold with a score of 700.7 (598+102.7), eclipsing Sanjeev Rajput’s record of 698 (596+102) points created in 2006 in Indore. Akash Kumar Ravi Das won the silver with 698.6 (596+102.6) points while the bronze went to Army’s Devansh Panwar with 697 (595+102) points.

In the Junior men’s 50M prone event, Akash Kumar Ravi Das of the NCC won the gold with a score of 596/600 and established a national record in the junior category, erasing the existing record of Sushil Ghaley (593) which was created in 2000 at Phillaur.

In the 10M air-pistol event, Bapu Vanzare of Army won gold with 677.9 (578+99.9) while Samresh Jung of  CISF won silver with 677.4 (582+95.4) points. Gurpal Singh of Army won the bronze scoring 670.5 (573+97.5).

Choi declared brain dead
South Korean boxer Choi Yoi-sam, who lost consciousness after winning his WBO intercontinental flyweight title fight last week, has been declared brain dead, a hospital spokesman said on Wednesday, reports AP from Seoul.
A hospital committee pronounced Choi brain dead after conducting a series of brain tests.

The 33-year-old Choi had been in a coma since shortly after winning the fight against Indonesian challenger Heri Amol in Seoul on December 25.