Clijsters gives birth to girl
Former Belgian world tennis number one Kim Clijsters has given birth to daughter Jada, a family spokesman said.
The baby, which weighs 3.035 kilos and is 51cm tall, and her 24-year-old mother are both well, the spokesman added. The 2005 US Open champion had married American baseball star Brian Lynch last year after splitting with Lleyton Hewitt.
Randhir gets IOC post
Indian Olympic Association general secretary Randhir Singh was on Thursday appointed as a member of the IOC co-ordination commission to monitor the preparations of the Youth Olympic Games and guide host Singapore Organising Committee over the next two years, reports PTI from New Delhi.
The International Olympic Council (IOC) in Lausanne, Switzerland, announced the eight-member committee, under the chairmanship of Sergey Bubka, for the first-ever summer Youth Olympic games to be held in 2010, a press release issued by IOA said.
IOC president Jacques Rogge and Sergey Bubka will visit Singapore in April.
Pietersen shines, England collapses
Kevin Pietersen stood out with a half century as England was dismissed for 131 on the first day of a two-day cricket tour match against an Invitation New Zealand XI on Thursday, reports PTI from Dunedin.
Only four other players reached double figures and Alastair Cook’s 19 was the second-highest score, after Pietersen’s 50, as the tourists were hurried out in 40.1 overs.
New Zealand seam bowler Iain O’Brien took 4-34 and recuperating international Mark Gillespie returned 3-62.
The Invitation side was 177 for four at stumps.
Saleh replaces Bashar
Bangladesh have axed veteran batsman and former captain Habibul Bashar from the 12-man squad selected for the second and final Test against South Africa starting in Chittagong on Friday, reports Reuters from Chittagong.
Squad: Mohammad Ashraful (captain), Mashrafe Mortaza, Aftab Ahmed, Shakib Al Hasan, Shahadat Hossain, Tamim Iqbal, Shahriar Nafees, Mohammad Rafique, Mushfiqur Rahim, Zunaed Siddique, Rajin Saleh, Abdur Razzak
Vincent joins ICL bandwagon
Opening batsman Lou Vincent has become the latest New Zealand player to join the rebel Indian Cricket League, angering national officials by turning his back on an existing national contract, reports AP from Wellington.
Vincent, 29, is the 10th New Zealander to take up a contract.
New Zealand Cricket immediately cancelled Vincent’s Black Caps contract on Thursday and expressed disappointment at his decision to play in the Indian Twenty20 competition. “Lou is the first player to out-and-out breach his New Zealand contract,” NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said. “It (Vincent’s deal) was done without seeking a release. He made no effort to go through the proper channels.”
Amla, Harris in SA ODI squad
South Africa named untried batsman Hashim Amla and left-arm spinner Paul Harris in a 14-man squad for upcoming one-day clashes against Bangladesh, reports AFP from Chittagong.
The selectors opted to include the two, who are yet to play one-day international cricket, with an eye to future commitments on the sub-continent.
Squad:
Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, A B de Villiers, J P Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Paul Harris, Charl Langveldt, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Andre Nel, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn.
Football academy in Bhondsi
ONGC Rajiv Gandhi National Football Academy will be set up in village Bhondsi of district Gurgaon which would be first of its kind in the country, reports PTI from Gurgaon.
This was announced on Thursday by Priyaranjan Das Munsi, president of All India Football Federation.
PCB refuses NOC to Rana Naved
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) refused to issue a no objection certificate to Test pacer Rana Naved ul-Hasan to play for English county Yorkshire this year owing to his alignment with the Indian Cricket League, reports PTI from Karachi.
