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MS Dhoni`s security is foolproof: Jharkhand DGP Ranchi: There would not be any compromise on the security aspect of Team India Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Jharkhand Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar said on Tuesday.
"Dhoni’s security is foolproof," Kumar said, denying reports that the cricketer’s security has been reduced following a review by a security committee.
"I tell you, there won`t be any compromise on his security," the DGP added.
A newspaper on Tuesday published that Dhoni`s security cover has been reduced from Z to Y category.
A few years ago, Dhoni’s security was tightened after his family received extortion threat through a letter. Later, the accused was arrested. Saina still eyes first title of 2013 in Singapore Singapore: After failing to retain crowns in Thailand and Indonesia in the last couple of weeks, ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal will now look to break her nine-month title draught when she begins her campaign in the Singapore Super Series here on Tuesday.
The world number two Indian has been going through a dip in form, besides having some injury concerns and it reflected in her performance at Thailand and Indonesia where she crashed out of the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
By this time of the year, Saina always has at least one title in her cabinet but this year, even though she reached the semifinals of the All England and Swiss Open earlier, a title has eluded her. In fact, she has not won a title since last October.
The 23-year-old, who skipped the tournament last year in the run up for the London Olympics, will look to turn around things but she will have to be on guard as she begins her campaign against local player Juan Gu.
Juan had spoilt Saina`s campaign at Thailand and the Olympic bronze medallist will be eager to avenge that quarterfinal loss tomorrow.
The road ahead won`t be easy for the Commonwealth Champion as some top players, including world number 12 Eriko Hirose, world number 5 Ratchanok Intanon, are in the fray.
Drawn in the second half, Saina, however, won`t face any Chinese before the semifinals.
World number 11 P V Sindhu, who won the Malaysia Open Grand Prix in May, meanwhile, pulled out of the tournament as she is yet to recover from her knee injury.
In men`s singles, world number 10 Parupalli Kashyap will also look to fashion a turn around after he lost to Sho Sasaki of Japan in the opening round of Indonesia Super Series last week in Jakarta.
"Past is past, I am just thinking about Singapore now. The draw seems okay. Let`s hope for the best," said Kashyap, who won the bronze in Commonwealth Games.
Thailand Open Champion Kidambi Srikanth too has been awarded a direct entry into the main draw after two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China pulled out.
The 20-year-old from Guntur will now begin his campaign against sixth seed Tien Minh Nguyen of Vietnam tomorrow.
"After 5 pm yesterday the draw was reshuffled and I got the news that I am in the main draw," said Srikanth.
Among others, Anand Pawar will take on top seed Pengyu Du of China, Ajay Jayaram will be up against fourth seeded Japanese Kenichi Tago, Sourabh Varma will meet Hong Kong`s Wing Ki Wong and RMV Gurusaidutt will be squaring up against Wei Feng Chong of Malaysia at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
In women`s doubles, Indian pair of Aparna Balan and Siki Reddy will take on Malaysian combo of Meng Yean Lee and Yin Loo Lim, while world number 42 Pradnya Gadre and Ashwini Ponnappa will clash with Indonesian combo of Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Greysia Polii.
Ashwini will also pair with Tarun Kona to take on third seed Indonesian combination of Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir in the mixed doubles competition. Uttarakhand rains: Harbhajan Singh turns counsellor for stranded pilgrims, tourists Dehradun: Cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who has been stranded in Joshimath, on Tuesday took the role of a counsellor alongside Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel as he met a number of pilgrims hit by incessant rains and floods.
The cricketer is staying at the ITBP camp at Joshimath since the last three days after he too could not reach Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara due to bad weather.
The off-spinner on Tuesday accompanied ITBP officials to the forces' barracks and campuses where stranded pilgrims are being provided food and medicines and talked to them.
"He counselled them (pilgrims and tourists) that all would be well soon and that force personnel and others are trying to bring as much succour as they can. He gave them food and water and spent time with them," a senior ITBP official said.
The ITBP has deployed close to 600 personnel for relief and rescue operations in the state and has opened up its office and residential buildings for the people to stay.
"Our jawans have even emptied their barracks to accommodate the people who are stuck. Every effort is being made to provide food, water and medicines through two private choppers that have been pressed in by the force," the official said.
The force has spread its men to rain-hit areas in Kedarnath, Gaurikund, Govindghat, Pandukeswar, Karnaprayag, Badrinath and Uttarkashi.
Divij, Raja move to 2nd round of Wimbledon qualifiers London: Divij Sharan and Purav Raja moved within a win from qualifying for the Wimbledon men`s doubles event after recording a comfortable straight set win here.
The Indian pair defeated Flavio Cipolla of Italy and American Wayne Odesnik 6-2 6-4 in the opening round of the qualifying event last night.
The match began in right earnest for the Indians as they broke Odesnik`s serve in the very first game. They again broke him again in the fifth game and went on to win the set.
In the second set, Divij and Raja broke Cipolla`s serve at two all and that lead stayed with them, comfortably winning the match.
They next play Andreas Haider-Maurer of Austria and Jiri Vesely of Czech Republic in the final qualifying round tomorrow.
Jagmohan Dalmiya wrong in accepting illegitimate appointment, says I.S. Bindra New Delhi: Former BCCI president and a member of the anti N Srinivasan group, I S Bindra, has lashed out at the Board's interim head Jagmohan Dalmiya for accepting what he termed an "illegitimate stop-gap" arrangement.
Bindra, who now regularly writes blogs stated his views to a question posed to him about whether the BCCI has gone a decade back by appointing Dalmiya as the head of the interim group after the Sharad Pawar faction ousted him alleging misappropriation of funds.
"I have no idea whether the Board has gone back in point of time but Mr Interim Board President has not done justice to the high offices he had held before namely President BCCI and President ICC by accepting an illegitimate stop-gap arrangement," Bindra wrote on his blog.
On the issue of having an independent legal system, Bindra was critical about Srinivasan appointing his "personal friend" Raghu Raman.
"Earlier, there had been an appointment to create the independent legal system. But when Mr N Srinivasan took over, the role of ombudsman and legal counseling is being conducted by Raghu Raman, his personal friend. I am told he is being paid lakhs for attending board meetings and his legal fees run into crores," Bindra has written on his blog.
Without naming former cricketers, Bindra admitted that binding clauses by some private broadcasters forced the BCCI to bring a few of them on board.
"I must admit that I was part of the dispensation which took a decision to pay cricketers for being on the IPL Governing Council and also to sign them on an exclusive to be commentators.
"At that time, we took the decision as we were facing a situation where some private broadcaster had signed the players on an exclusive basis and was not willing to release them. In case, they did not have the official broadcasting rights of the BCCI. If you deem Board to be culpable in this, I accept my responsibility in equal measure," Bindra wrote.
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