Dawood's man main mastermind of spot-fixing scandal?

May 17, 2013

DawoodsNew Delhi, May 17: The mastermind behind the whole spot-fixing saga was reported to be a close aid of Dawood Ibrahim. His name was Sunil Ramchandani alias Sunil Dubai while the principal bookie referred to as 'Jupiter' in phone conversation is a person called Chandresh.

Paceman S Sreesanth and two other bowlers belonging to the Rajasthan Royals IPL team who were arrested on Thursday for spot-fixing, received up to Rs 60 lakh for one over for giving away runs as per arrangements with bookies with underworld connections abroad.

The sensational arrests of the three players in the early hours of the morning in Mumbai by the Special Cell of Delhi Police has cast a shadow over the ongoing IPL tournament and the players have been suspended by the BCCI.

At a crowded press conference here, Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said that the Special Cell had hundreds of hours of recordings of phone conversations between the players and bookies, 14 of whom have also been arrested. More arrests are on the anvil but the role of no other player, Indian or foreign, has come to light.

The players and bookies, who have been brought to Delhi, have been charged under section 420 (cheating) and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) but they are also likely to be booked under the stringent MCOCA, Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, which could land them in jail without bail and their confessions before a DCP level officer will be admissible in court.

Kumar gave a detailed account of the conversations that took place between bookies and the arrested Rajasthan Royals players -- Sreesanth and spinners Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila.

Kumar revealed explosive details of the modus operandi followed by bookies and the cricketers, giving audio-visual proof of three IPL matches which were manipulated.

Kumar revealed how bookies gave the caught players specific approval codes which were used to signify a compromised over during the matches.

"In certain overs they (the players) were supposed to give away a certain amount of runs. The bookies gave players instructions that they have to indicate that they would give away these runs," Kumar said.

"The instructions were `put the towel in your trousers or take time setting up the field or take out the shirt or the vests that you are wearing`," added Kumar, elaborating on the signals that the players used to convey their consent for the bookies` instructions.

The top cop listed three Rajasthan Royals` matches -- on May 5, 9 and 15 against Pune Warriors, Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians respectively -- where spot-fixing took place.

"The first instance that came to our notice was Rajasthan Royals vs Pune Warriors on May 5. In this match, as already agreed upon, Chandila gave 14 runs in the second over of his spell but he forgot to give the predetermined signal due to which the bookies could not bet in this match," Kumar said.

"This led to an argument and demands for return of money. Rs 20 lakh was advanced to him and another 20 was to be given later. He had to return the money," he added.

DCP Sanjeev Yadav then gave an account of the conversation that took place between Chandila and a bookie named Amit Kumar before the match.

Chandila was supposed to pull up his shirt to signify the start of the manipulated over. Even though he conceded the agreed 14 runs but having forgotten to give the signal, the bookies could not place any bets.

The next match the police talked of took place on May 9 in Mohali.

"In this match, Sreesanth was to put a towel in his trousers before bowling the second over and give bookies enough time to indulge in heavy betting," said Kumar.

The DCP then stated that in this particular match, Sreesanth`s close friend Jiju Janardhan was in touch with bookie Chandresh Patel.

"As decided Sreesanth bowled the first over without a towel. But in the second over he put a towel in his trousers and to give bookies time, he did some warm-up and stretching exercises," he said.

"He gave 13 runs instead of the agreed 14 in his over," said Kumar, adding that minor aberrations were not of much consequence for the bookies.

The police showed the clipping from the match in which Sreesanth bowled the compromised over with a towel.

The next game police talked about took place only the previous night against the Mumbai Indians.

"Ajit Chandela was not playing but he was acting as a go-between among the bookies and Ankeet Chavan to take Rs 60 lakh and perform as per the bookies` instruction. He was supposed to give 13 or more runs," Kumar said.

"He gave two runs in his first over and in the second over, in the first three balls itself he gave 14 runs after which he controlled his bowling and gave only one more run in the remaining three balls," he added.

"Chandila motivated Chavan, they had a chat with the bookies. Chavan said `I would move my wristband` to signal," added Yadav.

Kumar said the police team was present in all these matches.

"Our team was present in all these matches. One of the reasons was because those signals could have been given during commercial breaks also, so, to keep track our team was watching the matches at the stadium," he said.

"Sreesanth was arrested at Carter road in Mumbai, Chandila outside hotel Intercontinental where some of the bookies were staying and Ankeet Hotel Trident," said Kumar.

Asked about how the investigation, Kumar said, "It was an information that we had that the Mumbai underworld is indulging in match-fixing or spot fixing and contacting a number of bookies and some players are mixed up," he said.

"We were keeping them under surveillance. The names of these three came to light and we waited for a situation when all three could be pinned down," he added.

Asked whether Dawood Ibrahim or other underworld dons were involved, Kumar said, "it is difficult to name anybody unless we have a credible proof. There is no evidence on which basis I can name any member of the underworld...But it is sufficient to say that there is an overseas connection and we have definite proof."

"These three players knew each other and they knew that each of them was involved."

Asked whether Australia`s Shaun Tait or any other player is involved, Kumar said "We have no such evidence. According to us, Shaun Tait is not involved."

Kumar laughed off the allegations by Sreesanth`s parents that India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni conspired to frame Sreesanth.

"This is totally wrong. Dhoni did not put the towel in his trouser," he quipped.

Kumar said the players and the bookies were being monitored since the beginning of IPL.

"We were tracking them since April. We allowed them to make mistakes...Mastermind is sitting abroad," he said.

The Commissioner said the mastermind in this episode is "sitting abroad".

Kumar said owners of IPL teams were not invovled besides ruling out the role of any batsman of any team in scam so far.

"This is not something which happens overnight. These people the bookies they spot talent, spot vulnerable people who can be compromised and they work over a period of time.

"The investigation that we have done, it is sheer coincidence that three players of the same team have come under our radar. We cannot say that it is not happening in other teams or other matches, we cannot say with certainty.

"In this investigation, only these three players have come," he said adding that they have informed the IPL management about what has happened.

Asked whether Sreesanth was the main man in bringing the two other players into bookies` fold as he was the senior among them, he said one cannot say. "He is not the central part," Kumar said.

Asked about Jiju, the "close friend" of Sreesanth who was arrested from Mumbai, he said, Jiju is a close friend of Sreesanth and he played with the cricketer in club level at their home district Ernakulam.

"Jiju was the conduit between Sreeshant and the bookies. Sreeshant was given Rs 40 lakh," he said.

He also said they may approach the Enforcement Directorate, DRI and Income Tax Department depending on the recovery of money.

Asked about the mysterious death of Special Cell Inspector Badrish Dutt, who was involved in these investigations, he said the developments in the spot-fixing case has nothing to do with Dutt.

Dutt was considered a master in technical surveillance and it was he who led the team which recorded the conversations between players and bookies.

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Agencies
February 23,2020

Madrid, Feb 23: Lionel Messi scored four goals and Barcelona reclaimed the top spot in the La Liga as Real Madrid suffered a surprise defeat by Levante last night, a week before the Clasico.

Madrid's nightmare afternoon was made worse by another injury to Eden Hazard, who was forced off in the second half of their 1-0 defeat in Valencia and is now doubtful to face Manchester City on Wednesday in the Champions League.

"It doesn't look good," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane afterwards.

Messi, meanwhile, ridiculed talk of a goal drought by scoring four against Eibar after four games without one, while emergency signing Martin Braithwaite made two assists off the bench, teeing up Messi and then Arthur Melo in injury-time.

Their 5-0 rout, coupled with Madrid's defeat, means Barca move back to the summit of La Liga, two points ahead of Zidane's side ahead of next Saturday's showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It amounts to a considerable shift in momentum, with Barcelona away at Napoli in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.

Madrid host City a day later and the plan had been for Hazard to regain form and fitness in what was only his second start since returning from three months out with a broken right foot.

But the Belgian sat in the dug-out with an ice pack around the same foot after going off and Zidane suggested it was a repeat injury after the match. "It can be weak where you've had an injury," he said.

For Madrid, playing catch-up again next weekend will be a particularly heavy psychological blow, especially given the series of off-field problems engulfing Barcelona in recent weeks.

Yet on the pitch, Messi showed no sign of distraction as the 32-year-old completed the second fastest of his now 36 league hat-tricks, after less than 40 minutes at Camp Nou.

"There's nothing left to do but stand up and applaud," Eibar wrote on Twitter afterwards.

"I won't wash my kit after hugging Messi," said Braithwaite.

Braithwaite's arrival from Leganes drew criticism after Barcelona capitalised on a curious La Liga rule that allows clubs to sign outside of the transfer window if they have lost a player to serious injury.

Brilliant Messi

Messi quickly got to work, scoring a brilliant first goal in the 14th minute after collecting the ball centrally, around 30 yards out. He had three Eibar defenders in front of him but found a way through, nutmegging Anaitz Arbilla before chipping delicately into the corner.

The second came in the 37th minute as Sergio Busquets found Arturo Vidal, who feathered a flick into Messi's path. Messi surged forward, past his stumbling opponents, and fired in.

His third, three minutes later, was the simplest of the trio and arrived only after he tried to play in Antoine Griezmann. His generosity was rewarded as a sloppy Griezmann touch meant the ball cannoned back to Messi, who apologetically poked in.

Coach Quique Setien was able to take Griezmann off with 18 minutes left and introduce Braithwaite for his debut. Braithwaite's first contribution was a skewed cross but things improved immeasurably from there, as two passes across goal gave Messi his fourth and Arthur his first.

Madrid were never in control of a chaotic contest against Levante but might have taken the lead if Hazard had done better with a long ball over the top from Marcelo, which he failed to control and then scuffed into the hands of Aitor Fernandez.

He limped off and Madrid lost their way, finally punished with 11 minutes left by a straight ball through to Morales. Luka Modric, exposed on the right side of Madrid's defence, was unable to recover and Morales caught Courtois by surprise by firing early past the goalkeeper and into the top corner.

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News Network
July 9,2020

Tokorozawa, Jul 9: Olympic boxing hopeful Arisa Tsubata is used to taking blows in the ring but it is during her work as a nurse that she faces her toughest opponent: coronavirus.

The 27-year-old juggles a brutal training regime in boxing gloves with long, irregular hours in surgical gloves at a hospital near Tokyo.

Tsubata mainly treats cancer patients but she said the virus was a constant threat, with medical experts warning at the peak of the pandemic that Japan's health system was close to collapse.

"We always face the risk of infection at medical facilities," she said.

"My colleagues and I have all worked under the stress of possibly getting infected."

Like most elite athletes, the virus played havoc with Tsubata's training schedules, meaning she welcomed the postponement of this year's Tokyo Olympics until 2021.

"It was a plus for me, giving me more time for training, although I wasn't sure if I should be so happy because the reason for the postponement was the spread of the infectious disease," she said.

Tsubata took up boxing only two years ago as a way to lose weight but quickly rose through the ranks.

"In a few years after becoming a nurse, I gained more than 10 kilos (22 pounds)," she laughed.

"I planned to go to Hawaii with my friends one summer, and I thought I wouldn't have much fun in a body like that. That is how I started boxing."

She quickly discovered a knack for the ring, winning the Japan national championship and a place on the national team.

But juggling her medical and sporting career has not always been easy and the first time she fought a foreign boxer came only in January, at an intensive training camp in Kazakhstan.

"That made me realise how inexperienced I am in my short boxing career. I was scared," she admitted.

Japanese boxing authorities decided she was not experienced enough to send her to the final qualifying tournament in Paris, which would have shattered her Tokyo 2020 dreams -- if coronavirus had not given her an extra year.

Now she is determined to gain the experience needed to qualify for the rescheduled Games, which will open on July 23, 2021.

"I want to train much more and convince the federation that I could fight in the final qualifiers," she said.

Her coach Masataka Kuroki told AFP she is a subtle boxer and a quick learner, as he put her through her paces at a training session.

She now needs to add more defensive technique and better core strength to her fighting spirit and attacking flair, said Kuroki.

"Defence! She needs more technique for defence. She needs to have a more agile, stronger lower body to fend off punches from below," he said.

Her father Joji raised Arisa and her three siblings single-handedly after separating from his Tahitian wife and encouraged his daughter into nursing to learn life-long skills.

He never expected his daughter to be fighting for a place in the Olympics but proudly keeps all her clippings from media coverage.

"She tried not to see us family directly after the coronavirus broke out," the 58-year-old told AFP. "She was worried."

Tsubata now want to compete in the Games for all her colleagues who have supported her and the patients that have cheered her on in her Olympic ambitions.

"I want to be the sort of boxer who keeps coming back no matter how many punches I take," she said.

"I want to show the people who cheer for me that I can work hard and compete in the Olympics, because of them."

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News Network
May 12,2020

New Delhi, May 12: Virat Kohli's natural talent makes him a cricketing equivalent of Roger Federer while Steve Smith's mental fortitude matches that of Rafael Nadal, said South African swashbuckler AB de Villiers comparing the two contemporary greats.

In an instagram chat with former Zimbabwe seamer Pommie Mbangwa, de Villiers spoke about the two batsmen, who are easily the game's biggest crowd-pullers right now.

"It's a difficult one, but Virat is definitely the more natural ball-striker, there's no doubt about that," de Villiers said during his interaction on 'Sports Hurricane'.

"In tennis terms, I'd say he's more like a (Roger) Federer whereas Smith is like a (Rafael) Nadal. Smith is mentally very strong and figures out a way of scoring runs - he doesn't look natural, but he ends up writing records and doing amazing things at the crease.

"I think mentally, Smith is one of the best I have ever seen. Virat has also scored runs all over the world and won games under pressure," de Villiers,himself a modern day great, said.

De Villiers also felt that when it comes to chasing, Kohli is a shade ahead of Tendulkar.

"Sachin is a role model for both of us (him and Kohli). The way he stood out in his era, the things he achieved and with the grace he did all that is a great example for everyone," de Villiers said.

"And I think Virat will also say that he set the standards for us to follow.

"But personally, in a chase, I'd say Virat is the best I've seen in my life. Sachin was amazing in all formats and all situations, but Virat comes out on top while chasing."

The world knows Kohli as a prolific cricketer but for de Villiers, he is a friend, who has interests beyond cricket and is spiritual at one level.

"He's much deeper than just a cricket player...I think most people realise after a while that there's more to life than just cricket," de Villiers said.

"...Virat's always been a thinker, he experiments (with) a lot of things, he loves trying new things out - gym wise, what he puts in his mouth. He thinks a lot about life after life - what's to come, the different religions, we talk about everything."

De Villiers said that he also shares a great bond with Indian captain's actor wife Anushka Sharma, conversing on a lot of issues including family life.

"We go pretty deep and his missus as well, Anushka, we have very deep conversations, which is fantastic. We talk about children and family. We're waiting for that first little Kohli to come.

"It's a good friendship and we always find a way to talk about cricket as well, but 90 per cent of the time we talk about other stuff. It's refreshing and in the middle of a very intense IPL tournament," he shared.

IPL, for de Villiers, is not just a tournament but also about friendships that he cherishes.

"Obviously, when it comes to the IPL in India, it's been more than friendship," De Villiers said, when asked who his best friends in cricket are.

"Virat obviously - not only during the IPL, we chat throughout the year, which means it's different than just the IPL or cricketing friendship.

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