Category: Sports

LONDON, July 17, 2008 (AFP) – The Beijing Olympics will see the biggest anti-doping effort in history but the omens for a drug-free Games are not good.Alongside steroids and the blood-booster EPO, testers have promised developments in tracing substances such as human growth hormone, which are undetectable with standard testing methods. The chairman of the […]

July 16, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s legendary former captain Arjuna Ranatunga on Wednesday urged players to preserve Test cricket in the face of the challenge posed by the lucrative Twenty20 format.Captains of India and Sri Lanka, who begin a three-Test series here next week, endorsed Ranatunga’s comments. “As cricketers, the ultimate challenge for most […]

INDIANAPOLIS, July 14, 2008 (AFP) – Reigning Olympic 100 metre champion Justin Gatlin was noticeably absent when the USA’s track and field team for Beijing was officially named on Monday.Gatlin, who is serving a four-year ban for using steroids, tried unsuccessfully last month to get the US courts to permit him to compete in the […]

CHENNAI, July 14, 2008 (AFP) – India captain Anil Kumble said Monday he was confident his experienced batsmen will see off the threat posed by spinner Ajantha Mendis in the Test series in Sri Lanka. The Indian players found Mendis virtually unplayable in the recent Asia Cup final in Karachi, where the spinner grabbed 6-13 […]

July 14, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan batsman Upul Tharanga was on Monday given a chance to stake his claim for the upcoming home Test series against India after being named in the 12-man squad for a warm-up match against the tourists.Sri Lanka Board XI squad: Jehan Mubarak (capt), Mahela Udawatte, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, […]

PARIS, July 13, 2008 (AFP) – AFP Sports Service has chosen a selection of athletes who could be grabbing the headlines during the Beijing Olympics:- ATHLETICS Muna Lee (USA) – Two weeks after her car was struck by a drunken driver and her shoulder was hurt, this thin 27-year-old speedster known more for her 200m […]

July 12, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan cricket’s governing body has yet to resolve the crisis over next year’s England tour that clashes with a more financially lucrative tournament in India, officials said Saturday.A source at Sri Lanka Cricket dismissed local media reports indicating the board had agreed to allow players to take part in […]

BEIJING, July 11, 2008 (AFP) – Beijing’s official Olympic restaurants have been banned from offering dog meat to avoid offending foreign visitors, state press reported on Friday.The ban, issued by the Beijing Catering Trade Association, forbids all 112 official Olympic restaurants from offering dog meat dishes, and urges other eateries to take pooches off the […]

July 11, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka Cricket has agreed to raise players’ fees and perks as part of a deal to settle a long-running dispute over contracts, officials said Friday. SLC officials and player representatives thrashed out a deal over the last two days that ended four months of negotiations, amid growing resentment by […]

July 10, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka Cricket chiefs have agreed to try and postpone or reschedule next year’s England tour to allow its players to take part in the lucrative Indian Premier League, officials said Thursday.The tour, hastily arranged earlier this month after England suspended bilateral cricket relations with Zimbabwe, includes two Tests, three […]

July 9, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s new spin sensation Ajantha Mendis has been given a double promotion in the army after his exploits in the Asia Cup final, officials said on Wednesday.Mendis, 23, a gunner, was promoted to 2nd lieutenant by President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Mendis destroyed […]

MUMBAI, July 8, 2008 (AFP) – India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni took the rare step of pulling out of a Test tour because of fatigue on Tuesday, saying he wanted to miss the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The wicketkeeper-batsman told officials he was not available for the three Tests starting in Colombo on July 23, […]