NEW DELHI: Olympic heroes boxer Vijender Singh and wrestler Sushil Kumar, along with four-time world champion woman pugilist M C Mary Kom, were Mary Kom on Saturday conferred the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in a glittering ceremony.
For the first time in the history of national sports awards, three sportspersons were individually bestowed India's highest sporting honour, which comes with an enhanced cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh and a newly-designed statuette.
It was also a red letter day for 15 other sportspersons, who received the Arjuna award from President Pratibha Patil at the Ashok Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Prominent among them were cricketer Gautam Gambhir, world number seven badminton player Saina Nehwal, Asian chess champion Tania Sachdev and hockey player Ignace Tirkey.
Like the Khel Ratna winners, Arjuna awardees also got a newly-designed statuette, along with citations and an enhanced cash prize of Rs five lakh each.
For the first time in six years, a cricketer -- Gambhir -- was bestowed the Arjuna award. Since 2003, when off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was given the honour, no male cricketer had been included in the Arjuna awards list.
Gambhir is currently the world number one Test batsman in ICC rankings and has been consistently doing well as an opener.
Saina, on the other hand, has risen meteorically in the international circuit over the past couple of years winning two premier events. She also made it to quarter-finals in her Olympic debut in Beijing.
Saina's mentor and former badminton player Pullela Gopichand, India's assistant boxing coach at the Beijing Olympics Jaidev Bisht and Sushil's coach Satpal Singh were among the four Dronacharya awardees.
They also received a statuette, citation and an enhanced cash prize of Rs five lakh.
"It's the biggest moment of my career and I feel honoured," said Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Vijender, who will leave for the World Championships in Italy in the wee hours Sunday morning.
"I am happy that wrestling has got recognition. It is a big achievement for me," added Sushil, who also won a bronze medal, India's first in 54 years, in Beijing.
Mary Kom dedicated her award to her two-year-old twin sons K Rechungvar Kom and K Khupneivar Kom.
"This is for my sons. They are my life. Had they been older, I would have brought them here," the 27-year-old four-time world champion said.
The Sports Ministry also instituted a new award this year, 'The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar', which was shared by Tata Steel Limited and the Railways Sports Promotion Board in different categories.
After the furore caused by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh's no-show at the Padma awards this year, the sports ministry had issued stern guidelines asking athletes to inform in advance if they were to remain absent.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award: M C Mary Kom (Boxing), Vijender Singh (Boxing) Sushil Kumar (Wrestling).
Arjuna Awards: Mangal Singh Champia (Archery), Sinimole Paulose (Athletics), Saina Nehwal (Badminton), L Sarita Devi (Boxing), Tania Sachdev (Chess), Gautam Gambhir (Cricket), Ignace Tirkey (Hockey), Surinder Kaur (Hockey), Pankaj Navanath Shirsat (Kabaddi), Satish Joshi (Rowing), Ronjan Sodhi (Shooting), Poulomi Ghatak (Table Tennis), Yogeshwar Dutt (Wrestling), Girdhari Lal Yadav (Yachting), Parul D. Parmar (Badminton, Disabled).
Dhyan Chand Awards: Ishar Singh Deol (Athletics), Satbir Singh Dahya (Wrestling).
Dronacharya Awards: Pullela Gopichand (Badminton), Jaidev Bisht (Boxing), S Baldev Singh (Hockey), Satpal (Wrestling).
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar: Community Sports Identification and Nurturing of Budding Young Talent (TATA Steel Ltd), Financial Support for Sports Excellence (None qualified), Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence (TATA Steel Ltd), Employment of Sportspersons and sports welfare measures (Railways Sports Promotion Board).
Chandrayaan, India's moon mission comes to an abrupt end
Bangalore: Ten months after it was launched, India's maiden moon mission the ambitious Chandrayaan-1 came to an abrupt end today after ISRO lost communication with the spacecraft, cutting short the dream odyssey that was expected to last two years.
"The mission is definitely over. We have lost contact with the spacecraft," said Project Director of the Chandrayaan-1 mission M Annadurai.
However, he said: "It (Chandrayaan-1) has done its job technically...100 per cent. Scientifically also, it has done almost 90-95 percent of its job".
The two-year mission, launched on October 22 last year with much fanfare, was abandoned early today after the after radio contact with the mooncraft was abruptly lost at 0130 hours.
The Deep Space Network at Byalalu near here received the data from the 1,380 kg Chandrayaan-1, which carried 11 instruments on board, including six from overseas, during the previous orbit up to 0025 hours.
ISRO is conducting detailed review of the telemetry data from the spacecraft. "We will analyse as to what happened," Annadurai said.
Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, launched by homegrown PSLV-C11 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, has completed 312 days in orbit, making more than 3,400 orbits around the moon.
It has provided large volume of data from sophisticated sensors such as terrain mapping camera, hyper-spectral imager and moon mineralogy mapper, meeting most of the scientific objectives of the mission.
ISRO said last month Chandrayaan-1 had sent more than 70,000 images of the lunar surface which provide breathtaking views of lunar mountains and craters, especially craters in the permanently shadowed areas of the Moon's polar region.
BJP to announce new roadmap soon: Sources
NEW DELHI: Sources say that BJP, currently dealing with the leadership crisis, is likely to announce soon a new roadmap for the party.
Times Now report says that new roadmap will outline the individual responsibilities for the party leaders and ‘a big announcement’ is expected to be made shortly.
Sources indicate that BJP may announce the intent of leadership change without the timeframe.
Party president Rajnath Singh has told the RSS that he would abide by any decision that the outfit would take including that of stepping down, sources told Times Now.
Senior BJP leader L K Advani on Saturday met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, a day after the Sangh head appeared to have stepped in to resolve the crisis in the party.
Advani drove down to Keshavkunj, the RSS office here and was closeted with Bhagwat.
At a press conference on Friday, the RSS chief had sent out a clear message to crisis-ridden BJP to put its house in order by working unitedly and expressed confidence that the party would "rise from the ashes".
Advani's meeting with Bhagwat follows a series of discussions senior BJP leaders had with the RSS chief over the past two days.
BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, M Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar had met Bhagwat yesterday and are understood to have discussed the problems afflicting the party.
Earlier on Saturday, the RSS chief on Saturday held a meeting with Advani’s ‘bete noire’ Murli Manohar Joshi to discuss internal squabbles in the party and the road ahead.
The meeting, held at Joshi's residence, came at a time when BJP is grappling with a virtual war of succession among its second rung leaders.
Joshi, a former party president who is considered close to Bhagwat and the RSS, had hinted soon after BJP's drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls that Advani should not become Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
He had then suggested that Advani could replace Atal Bihari Vajpayee as NDA chairperson and walk into virtual retirement.
While there are reports that Advani may put his camp leaders in top positions before he quits, Saturday's meeting between Joshi and Bhagwat shows RSS may still be undecided over the issue.
PM dismisses Pokhran II speculations; asks BJP to settle down
Barmer (Rajasthan): Apparently not wanting to wade into problems of BJP, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that what was happening in that party was not good and felt the controversies over Kandahar and Pokhran-II were needless.
In his first comments on the turmoil in BJP, he told reporters in Barmer that infighting in that party was "not good". "It (infighting in BJP) is not good. In a democracy, stability in political parties is necessary. If there is instability, it will have an impact on the country," he said when asked about the crisis in BJP.
Asked whether there was instability in BJP, Singh, who was in Ramsar, about 60 km from Barmer, to see progress of NREGA projects, said there should be stability in all parties.
To questions on the raging controversy over the Kandahar hijack episode arising out of differences among BJP leaders -- L K Advani, Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha besides former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra, he said, "what can I say about it. I was not there."
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"It is not correct," he said in reply to a question about the atmosphere created by the bad blood between the BJP leaders.
When specifically asked about BJP leaders insisting that Advani was present at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Jaswant Singh going to Kandahar in a plane with three terrorists, the Prime Minister said "I was not not there. Yaswant and Jaswant were there."
On the controversy triggered by former DRDO scientist K Santhanam on Pokhran-II tests, Singh said, "a wrong impression has been given by some scientists which is needless."
1984 anti-Sikh riots case: Court awards lifer to 3
New Delhi: A Delhi court awarded life imprisonment to three people for attempting to murder members of a Sikh family here in 1984 anti-Sikh riots and came down heavily on ‘contrived inaction’ of the police and the Government of the day which led to loss of "priceless lives".
Indicting the Delhi Police, the court said that "instead of showing their allegiance to the rule of law, our Constitution and the oath taken by them, a better part of their course was found toeing line of their political rulers".
Convicts Mangal Sen alias Billa, Brij Mohan Verma and Bhagat Singh, all in their 60s now, were also fined Rs 6.20 lakh by Additional Sessions Judge Surinder S Rathi after being held guilty of attempt to murder, rioting, dacoity in Shastri Nagar, north Delhi.
The court slammed the Delhi police and the Government for its inability to tackle the riots that followed the assassination of the then PM Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.
"History would never forgive the police officials who were at the helm of affairs and the government of the day for their unprecedented slothful and quiescent role.
"But for the contrived inaction and sluggish response of Delhi police and the Government of the day, scores of priceless lives and valuable property could have been saved," the court noted.
India shying away from peace talks: Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday accused India of "shying away" from peace talks even though Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had acknowledged that dialogue is the only way forward for the two countries.
"If the road forward is dialogue, then what are they shying away for? They should come and sit and talk," Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a news conference at the Foreign Office here.
He pointed out that Prime Minister Singh had "committed to a dialogue with Pakistan" and said that "dialogue is the only way forward".
Both countries did not think war is an option for resolving issues as it would be "suicidal" for them, he said.
"When war is no longer an option, what other option do you have? A negotiated settlement and dialogue is the way forward," Qureshi added.
He was responding to questions about the resumption of the bilateral peace process, which was put on hold by India following last year's audacious terror attacks in Mumbai.
"They (India) hesitate on dialogue. They want cooperation (in probing the Mumbai attacks) and give us a dossier. They want progress and then shy away from talks. Both things cannot go together," he said.
He indicated that if talks are not resumed, the agenda would be "handed over to the extremists" and they would determine the future course of events.
Asked about media reports that Prime Minister Singh had said the situation was not conducive for talks with Pakistan, Qureshi shot back: "Then what was (the joint statement of) Sharm El-Sheikh? What was that agreement? If there is no dialogue, where are we going?"
He said India had not yet responded to an invitation extended to Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to come to Islamabad for talks.
The proposed meeting between Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir was to have set the agenda for a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, he said.
Pakistan had no objections to the Foreign Secretaries meeting in a third country, he added.
Qureshi also pointed out that New Delhi is yet to respond to Islamabad's request to provide information about threats from Pakistan-based terror groups that Prime Minister Singh had spoken about some time ago.
Pakistan is "willing to engage" India because this had been agreed on by the premiers of the two countries during their meeting at Sharm El-Sheikh last month. "Pakistan has no worries. We are firm on our stance... Normalisation of ties is in the interest of both countries," he said.
Qureshi also said former central minister Jaswant Singh's expulsion from the BJP for wiring an academic work on Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah "reflected the mindset" that was affecting New Delhi's approach to the resumption of the peace process.
"Where is the vision and the leadership? Leaders are supposed to find new openings when all roads are closed," he said, adding that "domestic politics was playing a big role" in influencing the Indian government's stance.
The latest dossier provided by India on the Mumbai incident is being examined by the interior ministry, Qureshi said, adding it would not be appropriate for him to comment on its contents.
Qureshi also accused India of trying with "much fanfare" to isolate Pakistan in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks. This approach had failed because Pakistan had mounted an effective diplomatic response, he said.
Indian Business News
Govt to infuse additional equity in AI
New Delhi: The Government is understood to have decided to infuse additional equity in Air India and give a soft loan to counter the financial crunch, as a high-level Committee asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to move a note on the issue for consideration of the Union Cabinet.
The Committee of Secretaries, headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar, which reviewed the turnaround plan of the ailing carrier, directed the Ministry to prepare the cabinet note on the matter.
The note, to be prepared in consultation with the Finance Ministry, would be ready for circulation to the Cabinet Ministers in the next seven to ten days, official sources said after the meeting here.
Though there was no official confirmation of the quantum of equity infusion and the soft loan the government could give to the national carrier, there were indications that its equity base, which now stands at only Rs 145 crore, would be enhanced by at least Rs 2,500 crore.
While the government would make only a partial contribution as equity infusion to the airline, a major part of resource mobilisation is likely to be through issuance of Initial Public Offer or infrastructure bonds, they said, adding the Cabinet would now take a final call on the issue.
India has excellent investment climate: PM
BARMER (RAJASTHAN): Oil exploration major Cairn's success story demonstrates that India is an excellent destination for foreign investment,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday.
Speaking after inaugurating the Mangala field, India's largest oil discovery in two decades, he said: "It can be demonstrated through Cairn's contribution that there is a very good climate for investment in India".
Urging foreign investors to come to India to take advantage of the opportunities available here, the prime minister said: "I call on investors from different parts of the globe to come here and assure them that they will get full and honest support from the Indian government for all facilities."
Manmohan Singh turned a valve on the dais to symbolically start the Mangala field's production, amidst cheers from the assembled audience of dignitaries, employees and local people, with the Oscar-winning song "Jai Ho" playing in the background.
He was also presented with the first drops of oil from the field in a container.
The prime minister said that the inauguration of the Mangala field was bound to bring enormous prosperity to Rajasthan.
"It is a historical fact that whenever oil has been found in a country, it has developed very fast. I believe after the oil production here, there will be a new Rajasthan where there is no poverty and less unemployment.
"Our country is moving forward at a rapid rate. But to remove poverty, there is a lot left to do," Manmohan Singh said, noting if this rapid rate of growth has to be improved, there will be further need for energy.
"Energy production is taking place, but the demand for oil and gas is also increasing," he added.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot were present at the function, held in a massive air-conditioned tent, which had eight large screens hanging from the roof to enable the audience to watch the event closely. The site is 125 km from the India-Pakistan border.
Mangala's peak production of 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) will be reached in the first half of 2010.
Along with the production at its Bhagyam and Aishwarya fields, the aggregate peak production by Cairn India will be 175,000 bpd or 20 percent of India's domestic production - enough to power 3.4 million cars daily or fill up 4.5 million cooking gas cylinders a month.
The three fields are expected to save the country $1.5 billion annually as import bill over the next 10 years. It would also earn the government $30 billion across the life of the field by way of taxes, royalties and profit petroleum revenue.
Deora has said the central government would get Rs.46,000 crore (Rs.460 billion) as profit petroleum revenue. The Rajasthan government would get another Rs.12,000 crore (Rs.120 billion) as royalty revenue for the first five years, he said.
India imports over 70 percent of its crude oil needs. At its peak, Cairn's production will lead to cutting down about 8 percent of India's import bill at current oil prices.
Indian Sports News |Sports News
Fisichella on pole for Belgian Grand Prix
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS: Italian veteran Giancarlo Fisichella on Saturday claimed the most stunning pole position of the season when he came out on top for Force India in an amazing qualifying session for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.
It was the Force India team's first-ever pole and the fourth for 36-year-old Fisichella, who has been heavily linked with a switch to Ferrari for next month's Italian Grand Prix.
His last pole came at the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix.
After this, he will be under pressure to stay with the team that has given him a new lease of life - and added to the lustre of the 'golden oldies' running in Formula One.
Last Sunday's European Grand Prix in Valencia was won by 37-year-old Rubens Barrichello of Brawn GP and Fisichella's front-row partner at the start of Sunday's classic contest is to be his fellow Italian Jarno Trulli, 35, of Toyota.
Fisichella, veteran of 223 Grands Prix in a 14-year career in Formula One, was overwhelmed by his success.
"It's unbelievable," the Roman said.
"I didn't expect to be on pole. It's amazing. It's fantastic. I'm so happy. Pole position! Is it true?
Fisichella will be seeking his fourth win in Formula One on Sunday in a career that has seen him racing at the front with Renault and struggling at the back with the Force India team in its previous incarnations.
He added: "I need to thank the team because they did a fantastic job. I'm really, really happy - and really confident for tomorrow!"
Third place on Sunday's grid went to German Nick Heidfeld of BMW Sauber with Barrichello in fourth.
Polish driver Robert Kubica was fifth for BMW head of Germans Timo Glock and Sebastian Vettel, for Toyota and Red Bull respectively, with Australian Mark Webber ninth in the second Red Bull and German Nico Rosberg 10th for Williams.
Fisichella's achievement overshadowed the shock departures in Q2 of world championship leader Jenson Button of Brawn GP and defending champion and his compatriot, Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren Mercedes.
Button said: "I didn't it make because I wasn't fast enough. It's going to make tomorrow very difficult. I didn't have any pace on the soft tyres and every time I hit the brakes, the rear would move.
"It is pretty disastrous for tomorrow really."
Hamilton reflected: "I went into qualifying nervous as hell. I didn't know where we were going to be. We knew we didn't have the downforce of the others. I'm losing so much time in the middle sector. There was nothing I could do, I was on the ragged edge. But we can have a little bit of fun with Kers from down there."
Fisichella's performance was an extraordinary conclusion to a crazy session run in unpredictable conditions with most teams appearing to be left scratching their heads over the performances.
Trulli said: "It's a mystery. We haven't done anything on the car compared to the last few races and suddenly here we are competitive. It is great, we were going through a difficult moment. We don't understand why we are struggling so much and then we are competitive sometimes like today. I am very confident for tomorrow."
Heidfeld said: "It's obviously very important to everyone in the team. We said that BMW wants to leave on a high. It's even more important for the people in Hinwil - we are working on securing the future of the team and it is good we can show we have good performance."
Qualifying (Q3) times:
1. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Force India-Mercedes 1:46.308
2. Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota 1:46.395
3. Nick Heidfeld (GER) BMW Sauber 1:46.500
4. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Brawn-Mercedes 1:46.513
5. Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber 1:46.586
6. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 1:46.633
7. Timo Glock (GER) Toyota 1:46.677
8. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull-Renault 1:46.761
9. Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull-Renault 1:46.788
10. Nico Rosberg (GER) Williams-Toyota 1:47.362.
Cricketers' preparatory camp gathers momentum in Bangalore
BANGALORE: India's preparations for the upcoming overseas tours gained momentum with players practising catching and engaging in bowling drills on the third day of the camp on Saturday.
Ishant Sharma, RP Singh and Ashish Nehra were seen in action over an extended period of time. The team members practised for over four hours at a stretch.
The camp concludes on Sunday. Most of the players are taking part in the Corporate Trophy tournament starting at Mohali, Dharamsala, Vishakhapatnam and Bangalore from September 1-8.
Thereafter, the Indian team would leave for Sri Lanka for the tri-series, followed by Champions Trophy in
Four-wicket Herath leaves Kiwis in a spin
Colombo: Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath rabbed four wickets as Sri Lanka pushed New Zealand towards a massive defeat in the second and final cricket Test here on Saturday.
The Kiwis, battling for survival after being set an improbable victory target of 494 runs, slumped to 182-6 in their second knock by close of the fourth day's play.
Daniel Flynn was the only top order batsman to defy the Sri Lankan bowlers with 50, the left-hander's best performance in the series after scores of 14, 0 and 13 in the previous three innings.
At stumps, Jacob Oram was unbeaten on seven and skipper Daniel Vettori was on five.
Sri Lanka won the first Test in Galle by 202 runs last week and a 2-0 sweep of the series will make them number two in the official Test rankings behind South Africa.
The hosts currently share the second spot with India.
Earlier, Sri Lanka declared their second innings soon after lunch at 311-5, in which skipper Kumar Sangakkara scored 109 and former captain Mahela Jayawardene made 96.
Jayawardene, who hit 92 in the first innings, missed a century for the second time in the Test when he edged Iain O'Brien to Taylor at first slip soon after lunch.
Sangakkara declared at the fall of Jayawardene's wicket, leaving his bowlers four-and-a-half sessions to bowl out the tourists.
Tim McIntosh and Martin Guptill put on 36 for the first wicket before both batsmen were dismissed in the space of five runs.
McIntosh, who plodded for 48 minutes to make seven, was bowled as he shouldered arms to a straight ball from fast bowler Dammika Prasad.
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