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Destiny smiles again on Mohammad Azharuddin

November 9, 2012

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Hyderabad/New Delhi, November 9: Former Indian cricket team skipper Mohammad Azharuddin had labelled himself Destiny's Child when he stormed into the limelight stroking three hundreds in his first three Tests against England in 1985.

A god-fearing man and a devout Muslim, the wristy batsman repeated those words when he was made the skipper in 1990.

Perhaps, it was destiny that the man who went on to lead India to a record 14 Test wins and was the apple of the eye of most cricket fans before Sachin Tendulkar stole his thunder, allegedly took a 'bite' of the forbidden fruit and fell from the eyes of those very fans who had put him on a pedestal.

On Thursday, 12 years after he was banned by the BCCI, for match-fixing and involvement with bookies, destiny chose to smile on him again.

The life ban imposed on the cricketer-turned politician in December 2000, was set aside by the AP High Court. A division bench comprising Justices Asuthosh Mohunta and G Krishna Mohan Reddy delivered the judgement, allowing the appeal filed by Azharuddin against BCCI's ban as also a civil court's approval of the ban order.

The bench also set aside the ban preventing Azharuddin from playing any cricket match conducted or authorised by the ICC and BCCI. It further set aside the ban on a benefit match for the player.

Azharuddin was prevented from not only playing a match, but wasn't even allowed to enter any venue that was staging a match under the aegis of the ICC.

The two judges were unanimous in their opinion that the BCCI went about condemning the cricketer without even giving him the opportunity to be heard. The board also failed to substantiate its claims of wrongdoing by Azharuddin with any credible evidence, the bench said.

The match-fixing scandal came to light in April 2000, after the then South Africa captain Hansie Cronje claimed in his confession that Azharuddin had introduced him to bookies.

The removal of the ban though, may not mean much to Azharuddin as far as his playing career is concerned. At 49, and especially when he has made a successful switch from cricket to politics, the game is not a priority any more.

But getting his name cleared of the match-fixing allegations is a huge victory indeed. The court order will now allow him to plan his long overdue benefit match and also claim what is due to him from the cricket board.

A RELIEVED MAN

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, the Congress MP from Moradabad said he was a relieved man.

"I fought this battle for so long with patience. It has been a tough and painful battle and I am grateful to everyone who has supported me during this difficult period," Azhar told reporters at a press conference at his residence.

Azhar said he was happy that his name is no more mired in controversy.

"My name is cleared and I don't want to dwell upon what happened in the past. If people want to keep talking about the past I can't help them. I am happy, I have not done anything wrong and I do not have any regrets. My conscience is clear."

Reaffirming his faith in destiny, Azhar, when asked whether he regretted playing 99 Tests and not 100, said, "Maybe I was destined to play 99 Test matches and that's what the Almighty wanted. I would not like to dwell on the past and move on. I am an MP and would like to focus on the development of my constituency Moradabad."

'WON'T TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST ANY AUTHORITY'

Mumbai/New Delhi: The agony of fighting a protracted legal battle to get the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI removed, finally ended for Mohammad Azharuddin on Thursday.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court quashed the ban slapped on the former India skipper for his alleged involvement in match-fixing and called it "illegal".

Azhar, who is now a Lok Sabha MP from Moradabad, has always maintained that the ban was unfair and the BCCI's decision was unilateral. However, the former Hyderabadi batsman sought to strike a conciliatory note with the BCCI, saying that he would not want to blame anybody for the pain he suffered in the past 12 years.

"It was a long-drawn out legal case and it was painful. We fought in the court for 11 years. There were lots of adjournments, changes in the case. But finally the verdict has come and I am happy that the ban has been lifted by the court," Azhar said on Thursday.

Asked if he would take any legal action against the BCCI, he said: "I am not going to take any legal action against any authority and I don't want to blame anybody for this also."

Technically, the HC verdict now makes Azhar eligible for the BCCI pension and payout that the board doles out to former cricketers.

The BCCI didn't jump to any conclusion on Thursday.

Reacting to the HC verdict, BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla told TOI: "The BCCI will take the final call only after our legal team studies the order."

Board CAO Ratnakar Shetty, echoed the views of Shukla.

THEY WERE BANNED TOO

Manoj Prabhakar: Was banned for five years for match-fixing after he tried to implicate Kapil Dev. Became the bowling coach for Delhi after that. Is a TV expert.

Ajay Jadeja: Was banned for five years in 2000 for match-fixing . But in January 2003, the Delhi HC overturned the ban for want of proof. Went on to captain Delhi and Rajasthan. Became a TV expert.

Ajay Sharma: Was banned for life by the BCCI in 2000 for match-fixing . The ban still stands.

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News Network
March 19,2020

Geneva, Mar 19: Regional Olympic officials are rallying around the IOC and have backed its stance on opening the Tokyo Games as scheduled, as direct criticism from gold medalist athletes built amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Leaders of continental Olympic groups praised the IOC after a conference call Wednesday to update them on coronavirus issues four months before the opening ceremony in Tokyo on July 24.

"We are living through an unpredictable crisis and as such, it is important that we have one policy, expressed by the IOC, and we follow that policy in unison," the Italy-based European Olympic Committees said.

However, when the International Olympic Committee published an interview with its president, Thomas Bach, after a separate call with athlete representatives, it prompted a four-time Olympic champion to urge postponing the games.

Bach acknowledged that many athletes were concerned about qualifying events being canceled, but noted that there were still four months to go until the games are set to be opened.

"We will keep acting in a responsible way in the interests of the athletes," Bach said.

British rowing great Matthew Pinsent wrote on Twitter that the comments from Bach, his former IOC colleague, were "tone deaf."

"The instinct to keep safe (not to mention obey govt instructions to lock down) is not compatible with athlete training, travel and focus that a looming Olympics demands of athletes, spectators organisers," Pinsent wrote.

Responding to the criticism from Hayley Wickenheiser, a four-time Olympic hockey gold medalist, the IOC said it was "counting on the responsibility and solidarity of the athletes."

Members reinforce faith in IOC

The IOC repeated its steadfast stance after a conference call with sports governing bodies, many of which have not completed qualification events for Tokyo.

"There is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage; and any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive," the IOC said.

That message was repeated after Wednesday's conference call by IOC executive board member Robin Mitchell, the interim leader of the group of national Olympic bodies known as ANOC.

"We share the view that we must be realistic, but not panic," Mitchell said in a statement released by the IOC on behalf of the Oceania Olympic group.

Offering unanimous support for the IOC's efforts to resolve qualification issues, the 41-nation Pan-American group noted challenges facing potential Olympians.

Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Matt Carroll said his organized recognized there was a global health crisis, but equally was assured by the IOC that the games would go ahead.

"We recognize people are suffering -- people are sick, people are losing jobs, businesses are struggling amid enormous community uncertainty. Things are changing everyday and we all must adapt," Carroll said.

"We owe it to our Australian athletes to do everything we can to ensure they will participate with the best opportunity in those Games."

Australia's team delegation leader said the focus now was "moving to the planning of our pre-Games preparation to ensure we get our athletes to the Games healthy, prepared and virus free."

"Clearly that is a major challenge for all National Olympic Committees," he said.

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Agencies
August 5,2020

New Delhi, Aug 5: Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Harmanpreet Kaur were on Wednesday appointed as the global brand ambassadors of the WTF Sports.

Raina is also joining the brand as a Strategic Partner. WTF Sports, a fantasy sports gaming platform, was today formally launched in India and globally.

The announcement was made through a web conference with prominent cricket host, Vikram Sathaye moderating and hosting the webinar and Vinit Bhatia, Manit Parikh and Yash Kadakia Co-Founders - India and Global, WTF Sports introducing the cricketers as the Global Brand Ambassadors.

Kaur said it was a perfect fit for her and she can use her strategy and experience while playing.
"WTF Sports was the perfect fit with me, I can use strategy and my experience while playing, I've actually learnt to strategize better as I've played along. Additionally, when we were under lockdown and I couldn't really practice, it was fun to come on the platform and feel like I'm still playing," Kaur said in a statement.

On the other hand, Raina said, "It is exciting to be a part of a fantasy sports platform like WTF Sports not just as an ambassador but also as the strategic partner, it is everything that I embody and what I believe in, it's fierce, fun and competitive."

The app currently hosts three major sports, multiple playing modes, and exciting contests, ensuring that sports fans can get more skillful by letting them strategize and use their sports knowledge into rewarding behaviour.

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News Network
February 13,2020

Feb 13: Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were buried in a private funeral service in Southern California last week, multiple outlets reported late Tuesday.

Citing Kobe Bryant's death certificate, Los Angeles Fox affiliate KTTV reported the remains of the former Lakers star and his daughter were transferred to Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary in Corona del Mar. Kobe and Brianna were laid to rest in a private ceremony there last Friday.

According to KTTV, the death certificate cited Kobe's cause of death as "blunt trauma" sustained in a "commercial helicopter crash." It also said his death was "rapid."

Corona del Mar is a community within Newport Beach, where the Bryant family lives.

Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, were among nine people killed when the helicopter they were in crashed on a hillside in Calabasas, Calif., northwest of Los Angeles, on Jan. 26. Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56; his wife, Keri; and their daughter Alyssa, 14 -- who played on the same club basketball team as Gianna Bryant -- also were killed. Christina Mauser, a 38-year-old who was the top assistant coach of the Mamba girls basketball team, was also killed in the accident, as were Sarah Chester, 45; her daughter Payton Chester, 13; and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50.

A public memorial service for the Bryants will be held Feb. 24 at Staples Center, beginning at 10 a.m. PT.

While the date -- 2/24 -- conveniently falls between two Lakers' home games, it still could have been chosen symbolically. Gianna -- one Kobe and Vanessa' four daughters -- wore No. 2 on her basketball jersey while Kobe was No. 24 for part of his 20-year-tenure with the Lakers, and his retired jerseys -- he also wore No. 8 -- hang at Staples Center.

The Los Angeles Times reported that "entry is expected to be severely restricted" at the venue despite Staples Center's capacity of about 20,000.

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