DNA by Dev Sukumar

sports LOCAL

dna.sunday

BHARATH NEARS DOUBLE TON DNA

GIRL POWER: Indian team batswoman Mithali Raj trains at the NCA gym on Saturday

TODAY IN BANGALORE :

arnataka’s KN Bharath scored an unbeaten 184 against Goa in the KSCA South Zone Under-14 tournament at NRA grounds on Saturday. Bharath’s gritty innings included 31 boundaries. He was supported by Abhishek Reddy, who scored an unbeaten 71. Electing to bat, Karnataka put on 375 for 7 on Day One, with Bharath and Reddy unbeaten at stumps. Brief scores: Karnataka: 375 for 7 in 90 ovs (D Nischal 47, Abhishek Reddy 71 (129 balls, 14x4), KN Bharath 184 batting (168 balls, 31x4); Shivam Mhapsekar 2/71, Nikesh Panjikar 2/97, Sriniwas Fadte 3/60) vs Goa; Hyderabad: 162 all out in 60.4 ovs (Arun Deva 24, B Anirudh 20, Tarun Yadav 33; Akash Ram 2/29, R Mithun 3/39, Sharukh Khan 3/31) vs Tamil Nadu: 78 for 2 in 30.6 ovs (Hari Nishant 27 batting, J Prasanna Venkatesh 9 batting); Kerala:225 for 9 in 94 ovs (Balu Babu 43, Iqlas Naha 44, Rahul Raghavan 44 batting, Nikil Babu 22 batting; Naren Reddy 2/32, Saleem Baig M 4/50) vs Andhra.

REBELLO STARS IN 8-BALL POOL

ichael Rebello won all three matches in his group at the 8-ball pool State Ranking Tournament organised by Karnataka State Billiards Association on Saturday. In his first match against Bhavesh Sangvi of Jain International Residential School, Rebello prevailed 4-0. Rebello beat Niranjan K and Chandra Shekar 4-1 and 4-0 respectively. The knock-out stage in the tournament will be played on January 26 followed by the semifinals and finals on the January 27. Results: Group O: V Anand bt Sharath S 4 – 0; Nehul bt V Anand 4 – 0; V Anand bt Himanshu Deka (JIRS) 4 – 1; Nehul bt Himanshu Deka (JIRS) 4 – 0; Group P: Michael Rebello bt Bhavesh Sangvi (JIRS) 4 – 0; Chandra Shekar R bt Niranjan.K 4 – 3; Michael Rebello bt Niranjan K 4 – 1; Michael Rebello bt Chandra Shekar R 4 – 0; Chandra Shekar R bt Bhavesh Sangvi (JIRS) 4 – 0.

Bangalore, January 25, 2009

HOOVER’S TON IN VAIN

n a closely-fought match, Deccan United Cricket Club chased down 283 with a wicket and three balls to spare against Herons Cricket Club in a match for the YS Ramaswamy Memorial trophy. Batting first, Herons CC posted 283 for 7 with Stalin Hoover scoring 106 and S Vinodh 55. Deccan United CC overhauled the total with 284 in 46.3 overs. Brief scores: Herons Cricket Club: 283 for 7 in 50 ovs (Stalin Hoover 106, S Vinodh 55, Harsha Tiptur 43; Rakesh Jinka 3/32) vs Deccan United CC: 284 for 9 in 46.3 ovs (Sudhit Rao 78, SS Darshan 33; Sanjeev 2/32, G Chaitra 3/42); Sparton Sports Club: 48 all out in 18.2 ovs (Naresh reddy 5/4, Pawan Deshpande 2/25, Kishen 2/6) vs Jolly Cricketers: 49 for 3 in 9.5 ovs (Pawan Deshpande 32; Santhosh 2/7); Jawahar Sports Club: 279 all out in 49.2 ovs (Girish Rao 42, N Manish 20, VS Pawar 71; Arun 2/28, Shreyas R Debur 2/56, Sachin Sudakaira 4/43) vs Duleep Cricketers: 166 all out in 37.4 ovs (Vishal Nalawade 27, Shreyas R Debur 48; KP Rohan 4/39, N Manish 2/45).

HUNED WINS 10-PIN TOURNEY

he Karnataka State 10pin Bowling Association (KSTBA) conducted its State Ranking tournament at the StarCity Bowling Centre. Fifty-two bowlers from across the state qualified for Round Two. Harish Kumar beat Omkar and played Huned for the 2nd runner-up position. Ultimately, it was Huned and Anthony who played the final. In a nailbiting finish, Huned played the better of the two to win by a margin of 40 pins.

■ Duleep Trophy, South Zone vs Central Zone, 9:15 am, Chinnaswamy stadium ■ State Ranking badminton tournament, Century Club, Cubbon Park, 9.30am

SUNDAY QUIZ

What’s cooking,

JO?

1. What famous title did this cyclist win before his fight with cancer and the seven successive Tour de France victories? 2. Which famous Indian tennis player was a champion kite-flier in his younger days? 3. Imran Khan, having quit cricket, started a political part called… 4. Who said recently: “…a batsman is so much covered with protective gear these days that one might say (Sachin) Tendulkar is playing if I go in the middle to bat.” 5. Bangalore’s Mundir Sherazi is the subjunior national champion in which sport? 6. The Duleep Trophy has adopted an idea suggested by Rahul Dravid. What is the suggestion?

SUNDAY INTERVIEW

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stunned one and all by reaching his first Grand Slam final in 2008 — the Australian Open. This time, however, he has a lot more pressure. The ebullient Frenchman opens up on things outside court, including how he values his privacy and whether he loves to cook… On hiring a tennis court… I was 12 years old and was on holiday with my parents in Bretagne (Brittany) in France, near the Atlantic. They paid, so I’m not sure how much it was! On meeting childhood hero Pat Rafter… Last week in Brisbane I saw Pat Rafter. He was always one of my favourite players. I was outside the court while he was on the court playing with someone from the crowd. I was like “Oh!” But I didn’t actually get a chance to say hello. On cooking for myself ? Just before I left Paris for the Australian tournaments. It was just some pasta and meat. I like cooking. On sharing hotel room with another player Even when I was around No.400 in ranking I always preferred to be alone in the room. I value my privacy. On whether he prefers any competitive sport other than tennis? I played a lot of football and basketball with a club back when I was about 13 years old. More football than basketball. Did anyone ask you whether you are a tennis player? In the streets of Sydney… They said ‘Are you a tennis player?’ and I said ‘Yes, I am’. And then I saw some little boys at the tennis and they asked me ‘Are you James Blake?’ Being recognised helps?

I was at a restaurant in front of the Opera House and they gave me a good table with a very nice view. On breaking a string in a match… In Brisbane against Nieminen. I think because of the long rallies. But last year I didn’t break many strings at all. On visiting a country for the first time… Thailand, when I went to Bangkok for the Thailand Open. We called it the country of smiles because everyone had a smile on their face. Did you ask anyone for autograph? I was never into collecting autographs. Have you ever forgotten something important? I forgot about a press conference in Paris, when 50 journalists were waiting for me. I was shopping for clothes while they were all waiting. I arrived one hour late. It was a press conference at the end of December. Courtesy: www.atpworldtour.com

7. New Indian tennis sensation Somdev Varman has a passion outside his sport, which is… 8. This Dane won every badminton title in the world except the World Championships, although he appeared in two finals. Name him. 9. Name this boxer (in pic) who is the only heavyweight champion to remain undefeated in 49 professional bouts.

‘A Frenchman will do’

songa, the fifth seed at 2009 Australian Open, remained on track for another tilt at the title by beating qualifier Dudi Sela in the third round on Saturday, but also said in the post match news conference that a win by any Frenchman will do… “I think for us it’s good if one Frenchman can win a Grand Slam… Of course I want to win a Grand Slam,

but if Richard (Gasquet) or Gael (Monfils) or Gilles (Muller) win a Grand Slam, I will be happy for them and it will be good for French tennis… I felt really good on the court today… I was happy to win — we played a great match… That (match against James Blake up next) is going to be a great match, he is a really good player so I know it will be difficult, but I’m ready…”

10. Who is the first sportsperson to be conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award for excellence in sports?

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS 1. Alexander Popov, 2. Mary Queen of Scots, 3. Curtis Strange, 4. Sex test, 5. Arnold Palmer, 6. Lleyton Hewitt, 7. Baby Arizmendi, 8. Nova Widianto and Lilyana Natsir, 9. Gail Devers, 10 George Foreman, at 45 years (We received correct answers from Binesh Vijayan) MAIL YOUR ANSWERS to bangaloresports@dnaindia.net. Any suggestions can also be mailed to the same address.

A ladies’ man and a doubles delight W

Finn Kobbero, a maverick stroke player who passed away on Thursday, lit up India in his heyday, writes Dev S Sukumar

hen news trickles into India of badminton legend Finn Kobbero’s death on Friday, there will be a few sighs. Those who have seen him at his prime - and there are many in India, for he played in a number of Invitation tournaments in this country from the late 1950s through the 1960s - are unlikely to have forgotten the spectacle. He’s regarded as the best player not to have won the All England singles title. Handsome, a 6 ft 2” bearded giant who was the most stylish of his time, Kobbero and his contemporaries Erland Kops and doubles partner Hammergard Hansen dominated the world of badminton. A ‘rapier’ backhand, a wondrously dexterous wrist, and an imposing figure at the net, Kobbero made badminton into a high art. He was good enough in singles to reach the All England final thrice, falling once to Malaysian Eddy Choong and twice to his legendary compatriot Erland Kops. As a doubles player of course he had no equal in his time - winning seven men’s and eight

In the one mixed doubles final in Bombay, as his woman opponent prepared to serve to him, Kobbero winked at her and she faltered mixed doubles titles at the Mecca of badminton. He also led his country to the Thomas Cup final in 1955, beating the flamboyant Indians in the semifinal, and indeed taking away the only match in the final against the rampant Malaysians. Kobbero single-handedly decided the semifinal tie in favour of Denmark - for the Indians were a brilliant bunch, and had disposed off the previous year’s finalists, USA, in the previous match. Kobbero won his first doubles (with Hammergard Hansen) and then the critical singles match against Nandu Natekar to

help Denmark take a 3-2 lead. They would eventually win 6-3. The Indian pair of Gajanan Hemmady and Monoj Guha were ranked no.4 in the world and had never lost a Thomas Cup match - and they seemed on course to take the rubber with a 11-3 lead. ”Kobbero single-handedly won that tie for Denmark, he won all four of his matches,” Gajanan Hemmady told this reporter a few months before he died on October 19 last year. “In the doubles we were comfortably ahead. At 11-3 I made a mistake. I’d noticed him inching forward while preparing to receive my serve, and so I flicked back. Unfortunately, it went out, and from then on, Kobbero controlled the game. He was brilliant, he had a tremendous variety of strokes, and he was very deceptive.” The match against Natekar attracted a near-riotous audience, for the two were the greatest stroke-makers of their time. Natekar was stylish too, a cherubic genius who had a cult following in South East Asia. The hall was overflowing, tickets

HERO: Finn Kobbero was among the pioneering generation of Danish players who dominated badminton

were even going in black at 200 Singapore dollars. The match turned out to be an exhilarating display of badminton. Eventually, Kobbero had the stronger legs and triumphed, and the Danes managed to overcome the Indians to make the final against Malaya. Kobbero was a hit when he played in India. In the final of one mixed doubles match in Bombay, as his woman opponent prepared to serve to him, Kobbero winked at her; the flustered player faltered, and Kobbero and his partner won the match! He was also popular with the ladies, and spent so much time with them on the beach that in one tournament at Bombay, he was beaten by the wily Indian No.3 Amrit Lal Dewan who was aware of his nocturnal activities, and made good use of the Dane’s lack of sleep. Kobbero belonged to the generation of players that followed Jorn Skaarup as the earliest Danes to play at the All England, and his exploits there doubtless created a badminton revolution in his country.